Mass Effect The Forgotten Effect
by Vergil1989 the Crossover King
Summary: Set before the attack on Eden Prime, set before the discovery of the Prothean Beacon, this ME story sets the stage for a whole new discovery on an isolated planet where magic exists and the impossible is quite possible. AU retelling of the ME universe as a whole. Rated M for strong violence and gore, strong language, and sexual/romantic pairings to come later on. No M/M pairs
1. Prologue The Skyllian Blitz

_This is my first fan fiction story I've ever done. I hope you all like and I'm always willing to hear constructive criticisms and reviews, so feel free to share your opinions. The Prologue isn't the best but it'll pick up soon, promise._

**_Disclaimer. _**_I owe nothing related to either Mass Effect or anything else for that matter. Neither do I owe anything related to the Wizards of the Coast's world of Dungeons and Dragons, the Forgotten Realms, or anything else relating to their awesome company and richly detailed worlds. If I did however, ol FemShep here would have most likely wound up with a harem of Asari 'entertainers' by the time her story was done. Can't blame a guy for dreaming. :P_

**Prologue; The Skyllian Blitz Begins**

**In the year 2148, explorers on Mars discovered the remains of an ancient space-faring civilization. In the decades that followed, these mysterious artifacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time.**

**They called it the greatest discovery in human history.**

**The civilizations of the galaxy call it…**

**Mass Effect**

It's amazing what humans can do when they set their minds to it. It seems like only yesterday we were taking our first steps out into space. Now, many years later, we consider ourselves friends, if not tenuous allies, with every known alien civilization among the stars. Despite massive leaps and bounds due to the discovery of the Prothean Ruins on Mars, there are still countless planets and star clusters that we've yet to explore in the Milky Way Galaxy we call home.

Should it come as a surprise to us that we haven't found all the life that's out there? No, not when you stop and consider the possibilities of what we have already seen in races like the geth, quarian, asari, krogan, salarian, rachni, and so many more. Even so, we are still considered a young and volatile race, yet the Council saw fit to give us equal representation among the other galactic civilizations. While we aren't actually on the Council, the fact we're allowed an equal chance to speak for ourselves is proof enough of how far we've come. When the attack on Eden Prime came, however, everything changed….

Our story begins not during the Eden Prime assault however, but during the Skyllian Blitz where one woman would be named a hero for her sole effort to defend the planet from imminent destruction from batarian warlords and roving pirate bands. The conflict had been instigated by one man, Elanos Haliat, for the most part. In a way he would be the one responsible for the later very well known Commander Shepard's ascension into legendary status, but even living icons need to start somewhere. This is her beginning.

**June 21st, 2176 CE**

**Elysium Colony**

**The Skyllian Blitz**

**40 hours in…**

Alexandria Jones Shepard looked down the scope of her Titan Sniper Rifle. The familiar weight in her hands was comforting, despite the situation she and her comrades were in. The ground forces and civilians that had come out to defend their homes with the young military officer were provided an excellent choke-point for the invading forces.

Situated in a valley with high, plant covered walls and a river that ran down the steep hills to the south of them, the area could easily be defended against their enemies. Even so, given the size of the raider group and how well equipped they were for pirate, the odds were against them. Mass accelerator fire was already thick in the air, slamming into the metallic barrier walls the soldiers had put into the dirt on top of the valley's entrance which led towards the colony.

"Get that rail gun back online, now! We need suppression fire on that outcropping or we'll be picked off by enemy snipers!" As if to prove her point, a red laser dot had appeared on her chest but she was quick enough to avoid a huge hole appearing through her middle as the officer ducked for cover. Snapping back out of her hiding spot, she fired back a moment later, grimacing despite the fact her efforts had been rewarded as she scored a headshot on the sniper in question foolishly fired on her.

Explosions rocked the area as the few ships that had gotten past the Alliance military ship, the _Agincourt_, bombarded the planet or were shot down by the rail guns that lined the colony walls several hundred meters behind Shepard and her soldiers. Shepard had been thrust into leadership when her own CO had been shot on the first day; and that had been forty hours ago, which now felt like an eternity since she had been going nonstop since the battle had begun. Everything had been peaceful, even tranquil when compared to the usual problems that colonies such as this one had. Nothing really ever happened that would require a show of force, but now she and the rest of Elysium were fighting for their lives.

Shepard pulled the trigger and watched as the four-eyed, heavily armed batarian pirate had his grey-green skin on his head excavated by a powerful sniper round. MA fire immediately zeroed in on her position but luckily, no one was able to get close to causing her harm. She waited until there was a lull and popped out of cover long enough to find another target and take another kill shot. This one caused a gory display of alien blood and guts as the enemy's heart was forced out of his back.

_"Shepard, status report?"_The voice on the other end was the captain of the _Agincourt_.

Really? He couldn't have picked a worse time to ask for one. The batarians and their comrades were gearing up for another push. Being distracted for even a second could be utterly disastrous, but she couldn't ignore the captain either. She gritted her teeth all the same and fired off two more rounds, the heat gauge on her weapon rising steadily with every shot, and even through her standard issue military grade gloves, Alexandria could feel the heat that filtered from her rifle as she activated her com-link.

Depressing the button with her temporarily free right hand before it shot back down to her Titan Sniper Rifle, making the connection with the ship above, she started a rather quick and almost frantic conversation with the captain.

"We've got them bottle-necked for now, sir, but we can't hold them forever. We've got batarian bombers shooting the hell out of us. The defenses on the colony are doing alright for now, but there's just too many, and they seem damned determined to take us apart! We could use some help down here, sir!" Suddenly, she saw a weak point of defense. She shouted at one of her comrades, "_You_! Corporal Xanatos! Get that wall fortified _now_!" The soldier didn't waste time on a salute before rallying a crew to get the metallic barrier back into working order. That last run had been too damned close. They were getting their bearings and it'd only be a matter of time before the ground forces would be in dire straits if they weren't there already. "I realize you've got trouble of your own, sir, but if we don't get reinforcements now, there won't be a colony to protect!"

_"I realize that, and that's why I'm sending a squadron of our boys down to help you. Give us your coordinates and hold that line, Shepard!"_The captain replied, knowing that his order was well on its way to being carried out since he had sent word down to the fighter pilots before calling the Alliance's newest CO down on the planet. Despite the forces aimed against him, the _Agincourt's _ship defenses and weaponry were doing more than enough to hold the tide above, making things bearable, if nothing else, on the planet below as GARDIAN laser fire and JAVELIN missiles strikes crippled or destroyed the pirates before they could get close to the colony.

Rather than waiting for him to end the conversation she simply returned her com-link back to her ground forces frequency. Her omni-tool was configured to keep her informed of any messages that she may have missed while the two were speaking and thankfully, nothing other than the notification of the wall fortification had come up. She yelled for her communications officer giving him the news and sending the cords a moment later. Luckily, the valley walls had kept the beleaguered forces relatively cool despite the constant barrage of shots raining down on them. As the noonday sun began to shift to beat down upon the battlefield however, it only added further discomfort to the engrossed soldiers and civvies that had a common cause to protect themselves from fates worse than death.

Even before today, batarians were well known for their slavery practices; implanting control chips and other similar devices into their victims' brains without the use of anesthetics to dull the pain such surgery caused. Afterward, the slaves were about as combative as someone that had been lobotomized, walking around like a zombie more than anything. They were all but trapped in their own minds while being remote controlled by their cruel and often sadistic alien masters.

Shepard laid down some suppressive fire, having switched from her sniper rifle to her assault rifle, a Terminator Assault Rifle to be precise. Quick and precise mass accelerator auto fire laid waste to several batarian and a few mechanical soldiers they had brought with them, the skeleton-like machine warriors falling to the MA blasts before exploding in metal parts and bits of circuitry. Keeping the line was all that mattered as she rallied her men, shouting orders over the constant fire from both sides as their air support finally arrived just in time to stop the latest bomber run, the batarian ships falling like flies as Alliance fighters swept over the valley before returning to the battle above the planet.

Today was going to be one hell of a day if things kept up as they had since the start of the attack. And to think, this force had been put together by one man, one hell of a charismatic man at that. He wouldn't be the first of his kind she'd have to worry about, but Shepard wasn't too concerned about the future as the ground forces seemed to be slowing up, the forces they'd been facing seeming to finally get the hint they weren't going to get through the valley. At least, it seemed to be going in their favor at least until she and the remaining soldiers behind the barrier saw what the raiders had in store for them next.

Five large mech-carriers, hovering clamp-like platforms that held five matching curled up battle-mechs: the YMIR or Model 34-A, at least a prototype of what would become common place in the future, were dropped in a literal wall of moving kinetic barrier shields and rocket and mass accelerator fire after they stood and started to move forward. How they got a hold of the damned things was anyone's guess, but there they were, standing a good eight feet tall and wide as an old semi trailer, painted white save for the red tinted optics that passed for the mechs' faces.

The response was devastatingly swift, yet it cost the men and women defending Elysium greatly given the strength of the enemy forces now laying waste to everything in front of them. Luckily, the batarian had been foolish to activate them all at once, and so when they were forced to stop firing to allow their weapons to cool off. Shepard gave the order to unleash Hell as rockets and grenade fire swept down upon the armored units, shredding shields, armor, and the synthetic parts the YMIR were made of. Two fell in that first volley alone while the other three were sorely hurting as the explosions from the destroyed mechs severely weakened them, making them easier targets in the next volley. The cost was great however as twisted, burning bodies surrounded Alexandria and the men and women that were left to stand beside her. This victory, if they made it that far, would be a hollow one for a lot of people, herself included.

With that wave taken care of, the ground assault was slowly starting to reconsider their options and held off, giving the Alliance soldiers and their civilian counterparts time to patch up their wounded and take the dead off the field. Shepard collapsed against the metal barrier that had held up against everything that had been thrown at it and tapped a button on the left side to raise the visor before also undoing the clamps holding the N7 helmet. It had been her CO's given the obvious signs of repair which were clear as day for anyone with eyes that could see, in place, taking it off to breathe without the aid of the damned filters.

Shaking her head to let her hair fall out of the damn piece of scrap metal, blinking her crystal blue eyes tiredly at the scene around her as a stray breeze ruffled her short raven-black hair that barely touched her shoulders. Alex, as she friends called her, was well above average height at six foot, one inch, something that always got her picked on as a child growing up on Alliance ships and stations. While fairly lean, she was covered in wiry muscles and was incredibly strong, and she knew it. Her face was angular and well defined, with strong cheekbones, making for a lasting impression even before someone took in her imposing physique. Alexandria looked up to the single sun in the sky and closed her eyes, needing time to catch her breath.

To think, she had just a month ago turned 21 years old, and already she was leading a planetary defense against such odds, and so far, they'd been lucky in actually holding out. They couldn't take much more of this though, but the looks of gratitude from those that had followed her and the open amazement they were still alive after two days of this was a bit shocking to see, considering what they had had to endure. It was the first prolonged lull since all this had begun, yet despite obvious signs of battle stress, exhaustion, gunshot wounds, smoke inhalation, and the loss of comrades; brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, sons, and daughters, they still looked to her in thanks for leading them out of this Hell so well. Since if not for her, they wouldn't have lasted nearly as long as they had, if had lasted at all.

_"Shepard, you've done good soldier. Reinforcements have arrived and are now mopping up the last of the batarian pirates. You and your teams will be relieved soon. Congratulations, ' ' ' Shepard."_Unable to believe it, word quickly spread like wildfire that they had held out long enough for aid to come to them at last. Cheers immediately went up around the camp as the captain's words sunk in for Alexandria.

"Lt. Commander, sir?" she asked, unable to help the surprised tone that filtered through the com-unit, which the captain heard above Elysium.

_"Indeed. If not for your sole efforts, we would have lost Elysium. Your leadership abilities are unquestionable after today. I'll personally attend your promotion after what you've done here. Get some rest, Lt Commander Shepard, you've earned it."_With that, the captain of the _Agincourt _cut off the communication line, and Shepard couldn't help but smile to herself, glad that she had managed to make such a difference here. It'd be two years before they actually finished the gangs off that had started this attack, but that was a tale for another time.

Despite the news of her impending promotion though, it still left a foul and sour taste in her mouth considering what it had cost the people here. She didn't feel like she deserved to be commended, not for this. Honestly she wasn't sure what she felt but it sure as Hell wasn't a sense of accomplishment since the captain wasn't down here on the ground to see the looks of sheer emotional anguish and horror, or smell the bodies of the dead and dying or the fires that had consumed some of them. And that wasn't even mentioning the sounds of the dying or critically wounded which probably wouldn't survive the night without immediate aid, and some would probably die anyway.

No, if anything Alexandria would have gladly traded her own freedom or her life for that matter if it meant these people didn't have to suffer. On the other hand, once the shock and battle fatigue as well as her adrenaline overload which had left her shaking from the eventual crash she knew had been coming, she knew that if not for her, everyone from the oldest man to the youngest child would have been at the mercy of these monsters, these slavers and pirates, who would have done unspeakable things to them if they had been given a chance.

Balancing the good with the bad would take time, but for now time was on her side since what she had accomplished here would be nothing compared to what was coming down the road, but that was a whole other ball game a lifetime away from the here and now.

_And that chapter is done. Review, critique, or just leave a happy little comment of congrats for such an opening lol. I'll let you decide and here's hoping more follow. Next chapter promises something a bit different from the usual ME fare you'd probably come to expect._

_As per a reviewer's request, I am now adding a dictionary of sorts at the bottom of every page from here on out with terms, items, and organization, among other things, definitions at the need arises._

**Mass Accelerator; **A mass accelerator propels a solid metal slug using precisely-controlled electromagnetic attraction and repulsion. The slug is designed to squash or shatter on impact, increasing the energy it transfers to the target. If this were not the case, it would simply punch a hole right through, doing minimal damage.

Accelerator design was revolutionized by element zero. A slug lightened by a mass effect field can be accelerated to greater speeds, permitting projectile velocities that were previously unattainable. If accelerated to a high enough velocity, a simple paint chip can impact with the same destructive force as a nuclear weapon. However, mass accelerators produce recoil equal to their impact energy. This is mitigated somewhat by the mass effect fields that rounds are suspended within, but weapon recoil is still the prime limiting factor on slug velocity.

**Prothean; **The protheans are an extinct alien race which mysteriously vanished over 50,000 years ago. The protheans arose from a single planet and developed an immense galaxy-wide empire encompassing many other spacefaring species. Not much is known about them, but many of their artifacts, ruins and technology have apparently survived the ages.

The protheans have been credited with creating the Citadel and the mass relays, feats of engineering that have never been equaled and whose core mass effect field technology forms the basis of contemporary civilization. Prothean artifacts, therefore, have immense scientific value and are seen to belong to the whole galactic community.

**Salarian; **The second species to join the Citadel, the salarians are warm-blooded amphibians native to the planet Sur'Kesh. Salarians possess a hyperactive metabolism; they think fast, talk fast, and move fast. To salarians, other species seem sluggish and dull-witted, especially the elcor. Unfortunately, their metabolic speed leaves them with a relatively short lifespan; salarians over the age of 40 are a rarity.

Salarians are known for their observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it is generally accepted that they always know more than they are letting on.

**Asari; **The asari, native to the planet Thessia, are often considered the most powerful and respected sentient species in the known galaxy. This is partly due to the fact the asari were the first race after the protheans to achieve interstellar flight, and to discover and inhabit the Citadel.

A mono-gender race—distinctly feminine in appearance—the asari are known for their elegance, diplomacy, and biotic talent. Their millennia-long lifespan and unique physiology—allowing them to reproduce with a partner of any gender or species—give them a conservative but convivial attitude toward other races. The asari were instrumental in proposing and founding the Citadel Council, and have been at the heart of galactic society ever since.

**Batarian; **A race of four-eyed bipeds native to the world of Khar'shan, the batarians are a disreputable species that chose to isolate itself from the rest of the galaxy. The Terminus Systems are infested with batarian pirate gangs and slaving rings, fueling the stereotype of the batarian thug. It should be noted that these criminals do not represent average citizens, who are forbidden to leave batarian space by their omnipresent and paranoid government.

Despite several disagreements with the Citadel and simmering hostility toward humans, most batarians prefer profitable pursuits such as drug running and slave grabs to out-and-out warfare. They have a reputation for being shrewd businessmen and merchants, though in more lawless regions of the galaxy like Omega, negotiations with a batarian are likely to be conducted at gunpoint.

**Krogan; **The krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world known for its harsh environments, scarce resources, and overabundance of vicious predators. The krogan managed to not only survive on their unforgiving homeworld, but actually thrived in the extreme conditions. Unfortunately, as krogan society became more technologically advanced, so did their weaponry.

Four thousand years ago, at the dawn of the krogan nuclear age, battles to claim the small pockets of territory capable of sustaining life escalated into full scale global war. Weapons of mass destruction were unleashed, transforming Tuchanka into a radioactive wasteland. The krogan were reduced to primitive warring clans struggling to survive a nuclear winter of their own creation, a state that continued until they were discovered by the salarians two thousand years later.

With the help of the salarians, the krogan were "uplifted" into galactic society, and lent their numbers and military prowess to bring an end to the Rachni Wars (see below). Ironically, after the rachni were eradicated, the rapidly-expanding krogan became a threat to the galaxy in turn, starting the Krogan Rebellions and forcing the turians to unleash the genophage. This genetic "infection" dramatically reduced fertility in krogan females, causing a severe drop in births secondary to prenatal and postnatal death and, ultimately, population, eliminating the krogan numerical advantage.

**Geth; **The geth ("Servant of the People" in Khelish) are a race of networked artificial intelligences that reside beyond the Perseus Veil. The geth were created by the quarians, as laborers and tools of war. When the geth became sentient and began to question their masters, the quarians attempted to exterminate them. The geth won the resulting war, and reduced the quarians to a race of nomads.

The history of the geth's creation and evolution serves as a warning to the rest of the galaxy of the potential dangers of artificial intelligence and to the legally enforced, systematic repression of artificial intelligences throughout galactic society.

**Quarians; **The quarians are a nomadic species of humanoid aliens known for their skills with technology and synthetic intelligence. Since their homeworld Rannoch was conquered, the quarians live aboard the Migrant Fleet, a huge collection of starships that travel as a single fleet.

Approximately three hundred years before the events of Mass Effect, the quarians created the geth, a species of rudimentary artificial intelligences, to serve as an efficient source of manual labor. However, when the geth gradually became sentient, the quarians became terrified of possible consequences and tried to destroy their creations. The geth won the resulting war and forced their creators into exile. Now the quarians wander the galaxy in a flotilla of salvaged ships, secondhand vessels, and recycled technology.

**Rachni; **The rachni are an extinct insect-like species that threatened Citadel space roughly two thousand years ago during the Rachni Wars. Intelligent and highly aggressive, the spacefaring rachni were driven to expand and defend their territory. They were eventually defeated and completely eradicated by the krogan, who had been uplifted by the salarians for their combat prowess and physical resilience to directly confront the rachni in the harsh environments of the rachni worlds. The accidental discovery of the rachni led to the Citadel races curbing their rapid expansion, in fear of being plunged into another galactic war.


	2. Ch 1 The Toril Incursion, Part 1

_This new chapter is going to push things in a new direction. While the beginning said that this will follow the general feel of ME, I do plan to throw some of my more personal favorites of genres into the mix. If you do not prefer fantasy to intermingle with sci-fi, then this is not for you._

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**Chapter 1; The Toril Incursion**

**1435 DR**

**Baldur's Gate, the Western Heartlands**

**The Forgotten Realms of Toril**

Despite her young age, the warrior who traversed the rooftops of Baldur's Gate was already an almost well-known household name among those that lived in the Western Heartlands. It was late evening, the moon high in the sky with very little cloud cover to block out the pale light that it gave off. Night was and would always likely be considered a time of assassins, but it was also considered the time of the Drow, dark elves that lived deep underneath the Realms' surface in massive subterranean cities, deep within the labyrinth like cave system called the Underdark.

Despite her heritage, the warrior who was currently on a job for a group called the Harpers, an organization that made it their business to protect the Realms from any and all threats that made it impossible or near enough for the Realms to protect themselves, was nothing like her dark elven kin. She was a mix of both dark and light elven kind, her mother being that of the moon elves to be precise, while her father was of the dark, specifically the Drow. If that wasn't enough, her father was famous; almost if not actually legendary among the people of the Realms for all of his good deeds and heroic adventures he had undertaken during his time as an adventurer, much like his daughter was now except she had been raised strictly on the surface.

The past aside, this particular warrior had business to attend to as she easily jumped a street-wide gap and rolled to her feet on the other side, never losing her pace as she traversed the stone rooftops of one of the biggest cities, besides Luskan perhaps, which was situated on the often treacherous Sword Coast, treacherous because of pirate raiders that came from the islands that dotted the Sea of Swords to the west of the Coast, among the monsters that made Toril their home.

This was just another day for her, another chance to prove she was not dictated by the color of her skin or what it represented for that matter. Dark elves, half or otherwise, were feared for very good reason, despite past stories of isolated villages of the darker cousins to the light elves living peacefully with the general population of Faerun. They had rightfully earned a very dark reputation of being chaos incarnate, evil, and xenophobic to the point that anything not dark elf, Drow, was considered an enemy of some level or another.

The woman herself was easily seen as a warrior of no small skill as she nimbly and agilely descended the side of a manor that stood on the edge of the upper-class part of the city, using her quick speed and dexterity to easily climb down the wall of the estate and land lightly, silent as a breeze, onto the cobblestone pathways that ran through the area like a spider's web. She had been told to meet her contact by the formerly-owned Bloodmire Manor, a dark and gothic-like estate that had had its own history of the macabre and bloody stories one would expect of a vampire, not of a human 'scientist' that had wanted to transcend life and death with horrid results. Now in ruins and long since abandoned due to its gruesome history, the dark elf/light elf hybrid let her deep, chestnut-brown eyes sweep over the darkened streets since, despite being in the upper class area of Baldur's Gate, the area around Bloodmire was unkempt, and thus, the magical lights else were dead, their enchantments having worn out long ago.

Her eyes flashed as she blinked, switching from her normal vision to infrared, and found who she was looking for before he saw her. It paid to be able to sneak around since she had fallen into one too many traps in the past, and therefore, she was quite cautious because of it. Letting her eyes change back a moment later after getting a good look to see that the red, orange, and pink heat signature of the single human was truly alone did the Harper assigned warrior step out of the shadows and make her presence known. "I am Giselle Do'Urden. I've come in regards to information you are told to possess regarding a recent kidnapping of the Grand Duke's daughter by the reformed Hands of Glory."

The human turned and gasped at being surprised so easily by the warrior before him, but it wasn't just his obvious surprise of being so easily crept up upon, it was the beautiful, yet obviously deadly woman that stood before him that also surprised him. Slender as a willow wand, dressed entirely in black from head to foot, it was clear that despite her dark appearance, that if she had a mind to she could have easily won the hearts and minds of any man or woman she wished.

Long, lustrous silver gray hair that fell down to the middle of her back when it was free to do so, currently bound in a long tight ponytail, perfectly smooth and an unmarked black ebony heart shaped face set with topaz-colored brown eyes, and while it wasn't obvious in the dark and because of her armor that covered her slender, hourglass figure, Giselle was a battle-hardened warrior of countless fights, her body covered in scars from the neck down. Each was a story, each was a testament to her skill in combat, but just simply observing the confident way she held herself was even more proof of her experience so far.

Some would argue that at the age of 50, Giselle shouldn't have nearly as many marks on her onyx skin if she was as well trained and well known as was rightfully rumored of her, but then if you took into consideration who her father was, then it wasn't so hard to believe that she might have gotten in over her head a few too many times and somehow survived to tell the tale. Enemies had a tendency to remember you if your family were anything to go by, and in the 30 years of adventuring she had met a few of her father's old foes, the few that yet lived anyway. Of course, she had made a few of her own since, but that was for later consideration.

The man himself was nowhere near as impressive as he nodded his head towards her, speaking a moment later after recovering his wits, his voice gruff and rugged in comparison to Giselle's soft yet confident tones that had graced his ears. "Yeah, warehouse district on the other side of the city, same as last run through, if the old stories be true, Miss Do'Urden. The ransom demands are to be met by this time tomorrow, or the girl dies. I risked my neck, and I hope you have something to compensate my time." It was no secret that the grizzly like man before her was a mercenary first and foremost, and his rugged attire only proved that point further since he wore rough looking studded leather armor, covered in the dirt from the road here most likely.

Besides a faded brown cloak and a matching leather belt, Giselle could see a simple straight sword on his left hip which had seen many fights from the dents and scratches she could see on the blade, its sheath just as beat up as the blade itself. Poorly maintained weapon that it was, she could see it still had a sharp edge to it amazingly enough.

"How about I let you live? Life is at stake, and all you care about is getting paid? Tsk, it's little wonder you were told to be quite the mercenary, Trask," Giselle replied, not amused as she crossed her arms over her chest, her black mithril chainmail hardly making a noise as the links in her armor moved against each other because of the change of position. Trask rolled his own pale blue eyes and threw his hand up in the air, and Giselle could see she had not made him a happy customer. Good, she didn't like mercenaries much anyway, most of the time anyway. There were exceptions to every rule but Trask didn't fit that very small exception she had made from past experiences.

"Maybe I'll let slip that you're coming…" What happened next was far too fast for the human to follow as the half Drow closed the distance between them in an eye blink and suddenly, there was a long diamond edged scimitar blade pressed against his throat, point first. He swallowed nervously and didn't dare breathe too deeply lest he run himself through and subsequently died from drowning in his own blood. The rumors of her prowess hadn't been exaggerated after all it seemed, and now he was seeing that for himself as he was unable to meet the sudden fire that had overtaken the woman's jewel-like eyes.

"Now that I have your attention listen up, Trask. I don't pay too kindly to snitches, nor will I be threatened by anyone, especially from the likes of you. If I find that you tipped off the Hands of Glory or any of their allies, be assured I will hunt you down to the Abyss and back if I have to. Now run along, or you'll find out first hand why the Drow are feared and hated in the same breath." Trask took that chance to run as fast as his legs could carry him the moment Giselle's sword pulled away from his neck and kept going until he couldn't run any longer, but he needn't have worried since Giselle had no intention of following the mercenary, tonight. She would make him hurt if he did let slip that she was on the hunt, but she'd hand him over to the city guards of whatever town she happened to be closest too at the time. Killing without a reason was not her way. She had a bit of a trip ahead of her, but Giselle was sure she could get inside the hidden base of operations for the guild of powerful assassins and thieves and out before the sun came up. Too bad she'd be interrupted along the way, but again that was for later consideration as she made her way to her new destination. She had much to think about along the way, mainly what the stories had said about the Hands of Glory last time they had been in operation.

Her father and a group of adventurers had hit the guild hall these reformed assassins called home hard, leaving few if any survivors. The previous floor plan had been mapped out during the initial raid, but with the past reconstruction of the city from a recent calamity that had swept across the Realms in the past 40 years, it was unlikely to help her now but she had taken the map all the same from her father's journal upon her last visit home, having heard rumors of the assassins long before she had arrived there a week ago.

It was always best to be prepared, especially in her line of work since the dangers of being an adventurer only got worse with the times as they were these days. Chaos still reigned in many places that had once been bastions of hope against the coming tide of anarchy with the Time of Troubles having come and gone, as well as the Spellplague that had followed close behind. Now, Toril, her world, beautiful still in most places, was slowly falling to what the deaths of certain gods in her world's pantheon had unleashed. People like her that were willing to risk life, limb, and more were fewer now, but while she drew breath, there was little chance she'd sit by and let things get worse if she could do anything about it.

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**_The end of the first actual chapter and the introduction of my oldest RP character in my considerable list of DnD inspired characters. So, how does Sheppard get involved with this world where magic rules the day? Find out next time._**

**The Time of Troubles**: The Time of Troubles, also known as the Arrival, the Godswar and the Avatar Crisis, was a cataclysmic time period in the chronology of Faerûn. Taking place during 1358 DR, the Year of Shadows; the Time of Troubles was a period during which the deities of Faerûn were forced to walk the earth in their mortal avatar forms. Several major deities died during the Time of Troubles (see Deaths, Ascensions, and Resurrections) and a handful of mortals rose to divinity.

**Harpers: **The Harpers are a semi-secret organization dedicated to promoting good, preserving history (including art and music of old) and maintaining a balance between civilization and nature by keeping kingdoms small and the destruction of plant life to a minimum. They consider the elven empire of Myth Drannor shortly before its fall to be the pinnacle of civilized history and strive to recreate the world in that image.

Those Who Harp are led by a council of seven High Harpers, who are responsible for most of the group's long-term plans and goals. High Harpers are elected through the means of secret ballots among the other High Harpers, with the criteria being long time service and extreme discretion in the implementation of their plans.

The Harpers have disbanded three times in history, the most recent group is based only in areas in Luruar.

**Drow**; Drow are a dark-skinned sub-race of elves that predominantly live in the Underdark. They are generally evil, exceptions including Drizzt Do'Urden, Zaknafein Do'Urden, Jalynfein, Tos'un Armgo, Liriel Baenre,Jarlaxle, and Qilué Veladorn and other followers of Eilistraee. They are shorter than many other sub-races of elves and, in common with most Underdark-dwelling creatures, have a tremendous resistance to magic. They also have a much higher birthrate than most other elves, but strife tends to keep their numbers down.

**Baldur's Gate**; Baldur's Gate is a metropolis and city-state on the Sword Coast and Western Heartlands blend, on the north bank of the river Chionthar about twenty miles east from its mouth on the Sea of Swords. It is to the south of the great city-state of Waterdeep and to the north of the country of Amn, and is located along the well-traveled Coast Way road. A person from Baldur's Gate is known as a Baldurian.

This wealthy port metropolis, which according to many accounts its population has superseded that of Waterdeep, is an important merchant city on the Sword Coast. Its strong watch and the presence of the powerful Flaming Fists mercenary company keep the city generally peaceful and safe.

**Spellplague**; The Spellplague is a malady that struck Realmspace on 29th Tarsakh, 1385 DR and was caused by Mystra's assassination at the hands of Cyric and Shar. With the goddess's death, the Weave, the universal structure of arcane forces, convulsed. It continued for a decade, leading to the Wailing Years, during which time arcane magic ceased to function and the planet of Toril was transformed. The break-down of the Weave could be felt by all wizards across Faerûn.

**Abyss**; The Abyss was the birth place of the demons, a chaotic evil universe unto itself with uncountable layers of infinite variety connected haphazardly. The Abyss's place in the cosmology of the Forgotten Realms shifted over time but the nature of the plane remained fairly constant: a violent, malevolent place where the strong survived on the backs of the weak, the weak conspired to overthrow the strong, alliances only lasted while convenient, and the landscape itself tortured the mind and body of all who dared to pass.

**Mithril**; Mithral, also sometimes mithril, is a precious metal produced from ores found in mountain ranges in certain areas of Faerûn and in the Underdark. Mithral is produced with a process similar to that of steel smelting. Items made out of mithral weigh half as much as similar items made of steel. Pieces of armor made mostly out of mithral are very light, therefore they allow the wearer to make better use of their natural agility and are less restrictive on the spellcasting.


	3. Ch 2 The Toril Incursion, Part 2

_We are back to my FemShep and are due to arrive on Toril soon. What surprises are in store from here? Only one way to find out._

**_Disclaimer; _**_I do not own ME, DnD, or anything related to these wonderful universes. Updates are to come later but for now just getting the actual story out of the way for the moment._

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**Chapter 2; The Toril Incursion, Part 2**

**March 3rd, 2178 CE**

**SSV Hastings, Viper Nebula**

**Recent supply drop to research base, returning to mass relay.**

**Estimated Travel Time; 3 hours in, 3 hours out…**

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Despite the captain's recommendation shortly after the Skyllian Blitz had been won, 'Commander' Alexandria Jones Shepard would have to wait two years before she'd be awarded her promotion, although the medal for her bravery and perseverance in the face of such an overwhelming force had been given to her later that same week after she had had time to recover from the battle.

All in all, out of the thousands of raiders and pirates that had landed on or had been shot down over Elysium, only close to five hundred actually got out alive. Alliance military brass had plans to retaliate against the remaining forces in their home sectors of space, but for the newly promoted Lt. Commander and a temporary posting on the SSV Hastings, it was more than enough to make her ecstatic parents even prouder of their daughter.

She was just another Shepard in a long line of Alliance Navy officers, having been moved from one posting to the next with her folks until she became old enough to serve as well. It hadn't been an easy life, but Alexandria was happy to do her part for Earth and the whole of humanity. Were there still problems back home? Of course, but for the most part things were pretty good back in the Local Cluster besides the occasional rebel group that thought to raise a little Hell from time to time.

All that aside, Shepard was still getting used to being called Commander and the power it brought with her new rank as of officially three days ago was still a bit overwhelming at times. Even so, she was nothing if not adaptable, and was already getting used to the whole packaged deal.

The subtle creek of the bulkheads as the ship accelerated was the only warning that Shepard needed since they'd been traveling steadily for the past several hours. The alarms that sounded a moment later weren't needed for her to realize something was terribly wrong, as she rushed to the CIC, seeing for herself on the ship's onboard navigation systems that they were being followed, and the vessels in pursuit didn't look friendly. Blue Suns mercenary fighter ships and one Frigate class like their own ship, were in hot pursuit, although what they were doing all the way in the Viper Nebula was a mystery to the crew.

Getting out of the way since she was more for ground assaults than space combat, she waited for an order that would most likely not come until after the battle was over. Thankfully they were near a rather large planet on the very edge of the Viper Nebula, which in turn was deep within batarian space. The SSV Hastings had been assigned to run supplies to a base that was being constructed on an asteroid, and while she currently didn't have the clearance to know anything about it other than it was to be a research base, Shepard had a feeling it'd be important later...

Bringing the ship about, she held on as the pilot put the Hastings through her paces, the GARDIAN laser defense screen already opening fire on the fighter ships and the frigate itself while narrowly avoiding getting hammered by the Blue Suns' own attack. Javelin torpedoes shot out of the missile ports on the Hastings a moment later, slamming into the enemy frigate with enough force to completely wipe out their kinetic shields, but not before they managed a sharp almost impossible turn of their own and managed to do enough damage to warrant a landing when the fight was over after the Alliance ship had passed by.

The SSV Hastings rocked and shuddered from the blasts that found the engines and part of the underbelly. Luckily the hull hadn't been breached or the engines too badly damaged, but to avoid trouble with the local Batarians, the captain ordered the pilot to get them as far from the colony the aliens had set up as they could, going for the last planet in the system which was unmapped and untouched by either race. Probably because there were plenty of other planets they could exploit later on, that and the Batarians didn't consider the Viper Nebula home anyway, only having a small presence in this sector of space, but enough of one to be an issue if they were caught out here.

A quick scan of the surface revealed that despite its obvious distance from the sun, the unmapped planet was very Earth like in its atmospheric readings, which was quite strange since it should have been a frozen ice block if nothing else. Further scans revealed however that there was a strange energy signature surrounding the world that had the crew puzzled since they had nothing like it on record.

Certain spots on the world beneath them seemed to be concentrating the energy as readings spiked and dropped at random, but nothing more could be learned from their current position as the captain made ready to land their ship, having no choice if they wanted to remain hidden long enough to get their repairs done and back through the relay before the batarians picked up on their arrival. What they didn't realize then was that they had been picking up on the Spellplague, or rather where it still lingered on certain parts of Toril despite it being nearly 30 years since it had truly ended. The residual effects were still felt where few would dare to travel since the azure flames still held sway in the Plaguewrought Lands

Regardless of the reason, Shepard was asked to lead a small group and ascertain what was around. It was simply an exploration mission, nothing more, yet what the Alliance would find out there would change everything they thought they knew about the universe already. While not on the scale of the initial Prothean ruins, it would still have a huge impact on future events. Two other human male soldiers accompanied her as the Frigate settled in a forest of immense size several days away from the nearest cities that they had been able to detect from orbit.

There had been no detectable power or communication networks of any kind, yet there were definite signs of life on the surface, large cities and numerous small settlements. While nowhere near the size of what she was used to, the reports still indicated a presence of civilization, and thus they'd have to tread lightly.

It was several days before the rendezvous between Giselle and Trask and her current assignment to rescue one of the Grand Dukes' of Baldur's Gate children from the Hands of Glory. They would run into trouble along the way. The two heavily armored grunts that followed Shepard as they made their slow way to the city, having landed deep within the Woods of Sharp Teeth, a well known area for the kobolds, orcs, goblins, and trolls that called it home. Advanced technology behind them or not, three against a small army of humanoid creatures the likes they had yet to see before would prove a challenge to anyone that knew not what they were up against, such was the case by Day 3 as the small group made camp for the night, the smell of pine and oak easily distinguished by then.

Already one of the two that followed her had had an unfortunate run in with poison ivy and was even then rubbing his butt against the log he had sat down upon. Armor or not, that was going to itch like crazy, but the incident had brought a much needed smile to Shepard at least. Something about the forest had put her on guard, so she'd been tense at best, although she wasn't the only one since her two men were also a bit twitchy. So far nothing had come up for their caution though, but she wasn't about to take a chance as her blue eyes swept the camp's perimeter, sensing something amiss more so than her soldiers. She hadn't survived the Skyllian Blitz for nothing, after all.

The sun had just set and Shepard stood from the fire they had prepared for the night, drawing her Terminator Assault Rifle from her back. Her two men noticed their Commander's unease and did the same, drawing a shotgun and a sniper rifle respectively. "Do you hear anything Thompson, Edison?" Sheppard asked, still scanning the area with her weapon already set at eye level as she aimed down the scope she had added since that battle two years ago.

The reason for her alertness was obvious to anyone with half a brain. She had known they were likely to run into Earth like worlds, but nothing that resembled Earth so closely, as if someone had taken it into their heads to clone an entire planet. While the notion was impossible even for the mighty asari, the evidence was hard to ignore since she had seen white tailed deer, rabbits, foxes, a common grass snake, and that was just counting the animal life. There were strange and unusual flowers and herbs sure but the vast majority she could easily identify, with a little help with her omni-tool's scanner, said that a lot of the species of plant were very similar if not exact copies of those found back home.

It was just very strange, even a little unsettling despite it also brought some small comfort as well to be surrounded by such familiar sights and smells of a place like this. She had visited Earth a couple of times during her youth with her folks to see grandparents that lived on the edge of a national forest, the Roosevelt National Forest to be exact, and they had taken her hiking every time. She had loved those trips; mostly because her grandparents were quite warm and friendly people, always ready with a good story to go with a nice little family get together around their campfires they made back in those days by simply rubbing two sticks together rather than relying on any of the fancy gear most people used even now.

Coming back to the present though, she saw Thompson, the bigger of the two who was in a heavy Onyx variant armor system, the N7 logo emblazoned across his upper right chest and a red and white stripe down his right arm clear as day, shake his head before opening his mouth. "No Commander, nothing." Thompson replied, his head was currently unprotected save for a sophisticated targeting visor he wore over the right side of his face.

"Nada Commander. This is just an oversized forest, probably a bear wandering around, nothing to worry about." Edison replied, obviously thinking she was being overly paranoid or at least too cautious. Besides, this was an underdeveloped world from what their surface scans had indicated, they were practically invincible in their gear. Feeling a bit too cocky in his matching medium weight Onyx armor, Edison grinned behind his helmet as he hefted his shotgun over his left shoulder as he turned to their CO. Shepard herself however was dressed in white Medium weight Explorer Armor, which seemed fitting given what they had been assigned to do while the Hastings was being repaired.

"That's what I was afraid of Thompson, and Edison, don't disregard intelligence for bravado. There is something out there; otherwise there'd be SOME noise out here." Before there had been the sounds of insects chirping, birds singing, and the occasional rustle of a passing animal, probably deer or elk, but now there was nothing, as if someone had hit the mute switch on the world. Something must have spooked them, and spooked them bad for everything to go silent as it had.

When the wind blew against them, coming from the east, they soon had their answer as a horrible stench hit them like a brick wall. It smelled oddly enough worse than rotting flesh left out in the sun all day, and that was saying something since few people that got a whiff of it ever forgot it. Shepard had, and even through her helmet's air filters the smell seeped through, but that wasn't the thing that caught her whole attention as the very distinct sound of tree branches snapping underfoot could be heard as several hulking shadowy figures started to close in on all sides of their camp. Slender and tall, able to stand at 11 feet if they weren't hunched over, their awkward gait made them appear unable to run easily as the fetid green rubbery skinned trolls dragged their long arms behind them which ended in long three fingered clawed hands, every centimeter of their horrid appearances covered in filth and refuse which accounted for the smell.

Edison's bravado faded almost instantly as he looked frantically from one monster to the next, Thompson also looked a bit green behind his visor as both leveled their weapons at the approaching creatures. Shepard was the only calm one as she narrowed her blue eyes into dangerous slits before she lead the assault, spraying several Polonium enhanced rounds into the rubbery hides of the green skinned forest trolls before her, the bullets being stamped with a toxic substance that would restrict the trolls ability to regen, although she didn't know it at the time she was using quite an effective combo against them. Her two men under her command weren't going to be so fortunate however as Thompson was the first to fall, his slow firing sniper rifle while powerful, overheated too quickly for him to stop the press of trolls into their camp and he couldn't reach his sidearm in time before a long arm swiped across his face, catching his carotid artery in his neck.

His kinetic barriers should have protected him, but because the attack was just slow enough, the sensors in his armor hadn't kicked into gear, and thus the shields hadn't been activated to stop the claws. The force of the blow spun him to the right as he fell, gagging on his own blood before he expired, face down in the dirt. Edison couldn't believe it, he had served with Thompson for years, they had trained together, had enlisted together, and now he was gone.

"YOU BASTARDS!" Edison screamed before he finally started to actually fight, having been frozen in fear by the strange creatures around them. His shotgun sang its particular tune, shredding troll flesh in all directions, yet his ammo was not able to put them down for long since it was neither fire or acidic in nature, but was more in line for taking down synthetics and shields rather than truly living enemies such as these. The trolls he destroyed soon stood again, giant holes in their bodies sealing up right before his stunned eyes while pieces that had been blown off started to grow into new and monstrous trolls. "Why won't you fuckers DIE?!" Even Shepard was a bit stunned by how ineffective Edison's attack had been but she didn't let it stop her as she continued to hold the line, more green poison tipped MA blasts shredding the creatures apart wherever she pointed her Terminator Assault Rifle.

"We need to get the hell out of here! Fall back now!" Shepard commanded, and Edison growled but followed since they were sorely outnumbered and couldn't hope to win against the enemies before them, unaware he had a hitchhiker attached to his backside. By the time he'd notice, it'd be too late to save his life, but for now the two Alliance Marines ran in the same general direction they had been going so far. It hurt to leave Thompson's body behind, having just caught a glimpse of the trolls starting to feast on his still warm flesh, but they had had no choice even with their advanced weapons and armor to give them the edge in the fight.

Their enemies had proven far tougher and resilient than anything either had heard of, save for perhaps a Geth Colossus, but at least the Geth hadn't figured out a way to repair themselves on the field. Stopping after running and still finding a reason to fire their guns into the following horde of trolls a day later, both Alexandria and Luis had to stop and catch their breath, finally getting a much needed reprieve as they neared the edge of the forest.

They were still at least three days away from the city, but with how far they'd come in such a short time with their every step being dogged until now it was to be expected they'd take a bit longer on foot as the two fell to the ground in an exhausted heap. Only then did Luis notice that his back hurt like Hell, having been tagged by a troll on their last stretch of their mad dash to escape the Woods of Sharp Teeth.

A quick application of medi-gel; a combination of an anesthetic, disinfectant, and sealant to the three ragged tears that she could see underneath his torn Onyx Armor fixed the damage done to the man himself as Shepard's omni-tool flashed a yellow as she applied the futuristic first-aid substance, doing a thorough job of it so he didn't pass out from blood loss later. The painkillers in the mix however, aided the unknown entity that had burrowed its way into his stomach and had begun to grow.

The troll that had managed to get a good swipe at Edison who at the time had been too hyped up on adrenaline to notice, had broken off one of its fingers in the process, and it now resided in the human's body, growing in size the longer it was left to its business. The next day saw him complaining of a belly ache before sharp knife like pain lanced through his body a couple hours after sunrise, both Commander Shepard and Edison having gotten up at the crack of dawn to start on the road once more while Shepard filled in the Hastings's crew about what had happened.

"Do not attempt to enter the woods. I repeat, do not attempt to enter the woods. We were attacked yesterday and we lost Private Thompson Smith to a group of creatures that would not die no matter how badly they were hurt. They regenerated rapidly from anything we threw at them, and the pieces that were cut off from our assault just spawned more of their number. I'm not a hundred percent sure sir but I think that the polonium rounds I was using might have had some effect. The ones I shot seemed to stay down if enough damage was done to them, and they didn't seem able to heal themselves either, but there was too much going on for me to be sure on that." Shepard said, looking over at Edison to see how he was doing as she heard the captain grumble in the back of his throat, obviously not liking the sound of the creatures they had ran into.

"No, they stayed down alright ma'am. The one that killed Thompson got a full clip of your rifle and it didn't get back up. I remember that for sure." Edison replied, rubbing his stomach which was aching as if he had eaten something foul but that didn't make sense given how far they had ran which had left little time to eat. He attributed it to the shit they had just survived, knowing that if he remembered how they had eaten his best friend he'd probably throw up.

"Alright, continue on your mission and watch yourselves. We can't afford to lose anymore of our men, especially if these creatures decide to attack us next for intruding on their territory. We'll have regular patrols scheduled to sweep the perimeter of our ship's landing zone so we aren't caught off guard as you were. Godspeed Commander." The captain said, leaving Shepard to tend to their mission, planning to have the crew load up on every polonium ammo mod they had so they didn't suffer a similar fate as Private Thompson Smith had. Unfortunately they weren't going to get off the line so easily.

She was about to cut off her comm link with the ship when Edison released an agonized scream before falling on the ground in a heap, rolling about as he clutched at his stomach. Shepard tried to get him to hold still but was unsuccessful as he pushed her away before arching his back and it was then that a sickening crunch was heard as a three fingered clawed hand erupted through the armor and the man underneath.

"Oh my god." Were the only words that Alexandria could muster as Edison went still, dead with a stunned expression etched on his face as the last thing he saw was the hand of a troll splitting him open before it tried to climb out of him, fully formed and ready to feast until Shepard shredded it under a prolonged burst of assault rifle fire.

"He's….dead…Hastings. Private First Class….Luis Edison is dead." There was silence on the other end for several long seconds until the captain found his voice since he and those close at hand had heard everything. The general consensus understandably by then was that the sooner they got off the planet, the better.

"Keep going Shepard, we'll hone in on your locator beacon if we have to as soon as we can get this bird off the ground." She could only mutter an affirmative before switching off her comm link before she turned to Edison's mutilated corpse, not about to leave his gear behind since she had no idea what the locals would do with it. It took every bit of her considerable will that she had to get the job done, unable to help retching a few times given the state of the man before her, but eventually she had managed to peel his armor off, pack it away, and sling it and his weapon onto her back where it magnetized to her own gear, making it easier to carry.

Thompson….she'd have to hope the trolls totally destroyed his gear in their mad frenzy to devour him. There was no way she was going back to those woods to find out, not without a full platoon behind her anyway. The rest of the trip was uneventful at least, and it was on the afternoon of Day 7 that she finally saw Baldur's Gate for the first time, confirming what had been found during their initial scans of the planet upon arrival.

It looked reminiscent of an old medieval town, fortified by a stone guard wall which encompassed the entire perimeter of the massive trade city. Stone and wooden houses and buildings, none of them bigger than four floors at the most, were easy to see as she was allowed through the front gates despite her appearance which practically screamed alien visitor. It was good to be in any form of civilization though, regardless of the fact she was very much out of place here given the simple metal armor and weapons the guards carried, ranging from platemail and broadswords as long as she was tall, to chainmail, and simple straight swords and shields, halberds, and other medieval styled weapons of old.

Alexandria's crystal blue eyes couldn't hide the amazement they had become filled with however as she got her first look at the actual people that came and went in all different directions. Sharply pointed eared and exceedingly beautiful slender humanoids, gruff appearing bearded and short, stocky beings, child like yet one only had to look in their eyes to see that the midget like beings she could see were not children in the least, and good ol fashion humans ran about their errands.

While it did her heart a world of good to see she was among friendly people, at least in appearance, it still unsettled her as well to see humans here of all places. As far as she knew, Earth was the only world where humanity had lived until they had achieved faster than light travel thanks to the Prothean Ruins on Mars. That aside, she saw that she was receiving quite a few glances if not outright stares given her bloodied and battered appearance, none of it her own but it was clear she'd ran into some trouble. The fact that she was wearing highly advanced armor probably wasn't lost on them either.

A guard approached her, bearing the emblem of the city and offered Alexandria a salute with his sword arm, his right hand crossing over to his left shoulder. "Greetings, and welcome to Baldur's Gate. My name is Jon Solis, Captain of the City Guard. You look like you've seen some action in the past couple of days at least."

Alexandria nodded and held out her right hand to the thirty something blonde headed young man before her, outfitted in sturdy articulated platemail, a heavy looking bastard sword strapped to his back. The only reason she knew that was because she had set her omni-tool to its silent scan mode, meaning that any items, armor and the like that had an Extranet reference on them would be sent to her visor for her to read at her leisure, and no one was the wiser since there was no lights or anything visible wise that gave away what she was doing.

She almost told him she was Alliance Navy but bit it back, figuring that he wouldn't have a clue what she was talking about as Jon reached out and grasped her hand firmly in his own. "My name is Alexandria Jones Shepard, freelance mercenary for hire. I lost my companions in a forest east and a bit south from here. I was lucky to make it here at all."

Jon sighed and offered his sincere condolences for her loss for which Alexandria was grateful for. "Given your rough trip here might I recommend getting some rest at one of our local inns? The Purple Wyrm is close enough and it's got a good reputation for housing adventurers of all kinds. If you're lacking for coin," he noticed the look that passed over the woman's face behind her rather unusual configured helmet and guessed she had nothing to her name either, "then I might have a job or two you could do for me. There's been a recent kidnapping by a powerful group of assassins called the Hands of Glory. Their ransom demands are ridiculous perhaps but since they have one of the Grand Dukes' daughters in their base in the warehouse district, I've been asked to send a small group to attempt a rescue. I've heard that a Harper Agent has hired on an adventurer of their own, and I've also heard she's the daughter of the legendary rogue and ranger by the name of Drizzt Do'Urden, the woman herself being Giselle Do'Urden. Joining up with her might be a good idea but where she might be found I do not know at present. I can pay you half in advance now and the rest later, and maybe you can join up with this Giselle later after you've had a chance to rest and recover."

Normally Jon wouldn't have asked a complete stranger to perform such a task, but this was no ordinary matter. He was a good judge of character and despite Alexandria's appearance, masked further by the blood and dirt she had accumulated on her trip here, he felt she was worthy of a chance to prove herself. Besides, he was more open minded than most of the guards he commanded, willing to look past the color of a person's skin or a person's race for that matter in most cases, and he was receiving no warning bells from his mind about this woman before him. She was obviously tough if she had survived the Woods of Sharp Teeth, being that was the only forest in the direction she had given within easy walking distance that she could have come from.

Alexandria agreed, and gratefully accepted the leather bag full of gold coins from Jon, getting directions to where she was supposed to go before she walked off to the Purple Wyrm Inn. The Purple Wyrm Inn was a warm and friendly place from what she could see, made of stone and wood like most of the city had been so far. From what she could see the rooms were on a second floor with the common area, kitchen, and the bar down on the first floor if she had to guess.

Wooden tables were scattered about, arranged so that servers and guests could walk easily between them without bumping into other people every time they got up or sat down. The bar and front desk was facing the door, with the stairs heading up to the left side of the bar. A fireplace had a warm fire glowing from a nearby corner, a couple of the stocky bearded folk sitting by it, talking about a place called Mithral Hall if her ears didn't deceive her, as well as a place called Mirabar? Something about trade between the two getting more costly and there might be talk of quitting the whole affair sooner rather than later if things didn't improve.

It mattered little in the end to her since it wasn't her affair as she walked over to the front desk and bar, needing to tend to her own needs first and foremost before doing anything else that day. It didn't take her long to get herself a room, a meal, a bath drawn up, and a good seven hours of much needed sleep on the comfortable single bed that was a far sight better than the bunks Alliance ships were normally outfitted with. Polishing up her gear after she stirred long after the sun had descended over the horizon; Alexandria locked the door behind her before descending down the stairs once more and exiting the inn, but not before noticing that most of the other patrons had settled in for the night. That was no surprise though since they were just like her in the end, even if most of them were strange in their appearance, at least to her despite having seen some pretty strange aliens in her life already.

Alexandria didn't get far outside however as she was approached by a man in a heavy brown cloak that had the hood pulled low over his face, concealing his appearance from any that happened to be walking by, which was few and far between at this late hour. "Excuse me ma'am, Miss Shepard I believe your name is, yes?" Alexandria turned towards the fellow who was a head shorter than her, but the cloak concealed much of who or what he might be to her blue eyes, let alone what he looked like. "I am sorry to bother you at this late hour but the guard captain met with you earlier today and I was advised that you knew of what had recently come to pass. You seek an entrance to the Hands of Glory base, yes?"

"You have my attention. What can you tell me that might help bring the girl home safely?" Alexandria asked cautiously, unsure if she could trust this man before her since he kept his distance just enough that if he needed to run, he couldn't be grabbed if the need arose without having to give chase. He knew what he was about she'd give him that, but she was a military trained soldier, she would most likely surprise him if the need arose.

"You have proved my information correct, good good. I am glad to hear it, but enough of that. You must think me shady or up to no good since I do not reveal who I am or what I look like to you, but I have my reasons I can assure you, all of them good. A Harper has many enemies so a certain level of caution is required, especially in these dark days."

Alexandria nodded but still crossed her arms under her chest, unsure what she thought about him yet. "Your mistrust is good; it will keep you alive for a long time to come most likely. But rest assured my intentions are in the best interest of the Realms themselves. Our mission, one of them at least, is to protect the people and the Realms themselves, when the Realms cannot protect themselves. I can only show you the way since beyond those that have the girl hostage, we know little and our spy we had in their ranks was found out a few days ago. He was left strung up on the front of the town hall that same morning, gutted and his throat slit as a message, a warning. I came to you for a reason however. Your exploits in surviving the Woods of Sharp Teeth are already well known, what little there was to go on from what I have heard for myself, otherwise I would not be here."

He had a persuasive way about him, but the reminder of losing two of her men, however he worded his comment, was not something she wanted to hear so soon. She had been too exhausted to have trouble sleeping or anything of the like when she had all but collapsed into the bed she had paid for, but it was still a sore spot in her psyche, a fact the Harper saw as the pain of her loss flickered across her face briefly. He was about to offer an apology but she waved him off before he could open his mouth. "It's fine. I did survive the Woods as you said, but not without losing two of my men to the creatures that lived there. They were friends and they will be missed, but now isn't the time to dwell on what happened. Lead the way, then we'll see what happens from there."

The Harper simply nodded behind his hood and did as he was told, no more words needing to be said. The half Drow he had recruited earlier on had passed on word of where the base was after she had gotten the information from her own contact, having found him at their predetermined meeting point before she had headed that way herself. Now it was just a matter of who got there first. When the odds were uncertain, it was always best to send more than one person in to handle the problem, thus was the reason why the Harper had hired on two warriors of various strengths if his eyes hadn't deceived him about the two women he had met tonight. The first was well known, but this newcomer, he was curious to see what she could do but he wasn't going in there with them. He'd have to hear about it later, but it mattered little to him as long as the job was done and the girl that had been kidnapped was returned to her family…

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_The first time I did this chapter I didn't explain how she had found her way down to the Hands of Glory base. It was a loophole that was inexcusable but now it's taken care of._

_Hopefully the added content will also help to fill in more about past exploits, experience, and whatever else that was left lacking before now. Anyway, hope you enjoyed!_

_Also, if I missed any terms, locations, or the like that you feel needs to be explained by way of definition as a lot of them have been so far, feel free to send me a PM or put a comment about it in the review section. Until then, adios!_

**Alliance Navy; **The Alliance Navy is the branch of the Systems Alliance military responsible for naval operations. The Alliance Marines, the ground operations branch of the Alliance military, are a specialized branch of the Navy.

The Alliance Navy is one of the greater naval forces in Citadel space, rivaling that of the turians. Its military prowess has drawn the attention of the Citadel Council. While the Council is concerned about the possible outcome of another war between humans and turians, they are also keen to harness the Alliance Navy's peacekeeping potential, especially in unstable regions like the Skyllian Verge and the Attican Traverse. The Navy also makes humans an attractive prospect as the newest Council species.

**GARDIAN**; A starship's **G**eneral **AR**ea **D**efense **I**ntegration **A**nti-spacecraft **N**etwork (**GARDIAN**) consists of anti-missile and anti-fighter laser turrets on the exterior hull. Because these are under computer control, the gunnery control officer needs to do little beyond turn the system on and designate targets as hostile.

**Mithral Hall**; Mithral Hall was a dwarven stronghold beneath Fourthpeak Mountain in the Spine of the World. It was one of the best known dwarven strongholds in Faerûn.

Originally a mithral mine belonging to Clan Battlehammer, this underground town became a safe haven for various dwarf families and even some persons of other races. Mithral Hall had a long history of tragedy and triumph, and was the making and breaking of countless individuals.

**Mirabar**; Mirabar is a mining city of great wealth located on the Sword Coast. As of 1368 DR it is the richest city north of Waterdeep. In 1370 DR, the city is occupied by 1600 shield dwarves who live underground near to their workshops, which produce metal goods for export in the region and beyond. The humans above cooperate with the dwarves to handle the mining, move the ore to market and defend the city against magical threats. Mirabar is ruled by a hereditary marchion, Elastul Raurym, but the true power is in an elected assembly called the Council of Sparkling Stones, a dwarven and human group that meets once a year to determine their production quota and whether or not to threaten current clients with reduced output. It is led by the dwarven cleric of Dumathoin, Agrathan Hardhammer. Mirabar also has an elected sceptrana, Shoudra Stargleam in 1370 DR.

**Plaguewrought Lands; **The Plaguewrought Land (also called the Plaguewrought Lands)is the name given to a large area south of Chondalwood that continues, as of 1479 DR, to be wracked by the effects of the Spellplague. Inside this plagueland the ground heaves like waves on the ocean and pieces of land levitate randomly to form earthmotes. The vegetation that grows here is strange and twisted and may sprout, mature and then die in a matter of minutes. Most people who travel into this region are killed very quickly by the wild magic.

The border has been more or less stable for nearly a hundred years. Pilgrims, encouraged by the Order of Blue Flame, often travel to the Plaguewrought Land in the hopes of acquiring a spellscar.


	4. Ch 3 The Toril Incursion, Part 3

_I realize that some of you have probably played Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 1 and 2 and are probably screaming that it isn't canon to the actual history that's been established for the Forgotten Realms, but this is just a work of fanfic from my point of view, nothing more. I just liked the games was all lol._

**_Disclaimer;_**_I own nothing related to Bioware's ME universe or Wizards of the Coast's DnD world(s)._

* * *

**Chapter 3; The Toril Incursion, Part 3**

**1435 DR**

**Baldur's Gate, the Western Heartlands**

**Warehouse District, Hands of Glory Guild Hall**

**The Forgotten Realms of Toril**

Who'd have thought that she wouldn't be the only one sent on this job? Her Harper contact had left long before the half Drow got a look at him leading the newcomer, so she didn't know that he had went to another as a means of insurance he'd argue if she found out and confronted him later. For now though, Giselle had watched the stranger making her way to the same place she had been asked to assault and was quite curious about this warrior that hefted an even stranger weapon to eye level.

It reminded her of a crossbow being readied to fire, but crossbows didn't have glowing parts and weren't half a person's length as the weapon the human before her carried. Nor did they unfold from a compact form with just a press of a button. No, whoever this woman was, she was definitely not from around here. The half Drow had seen all of this from outside, her sharp senses and night adapted eyes easily discerning every detail besides the human's facial features from the beginning of the alley where she now stood, silently watching Shepard go in ahead of her.

Giselle had no idea there was life beyond her world, nor did the planet at large know that there was an entire universe full of exotic creatures from countless different worlds, but she was about to find out first hand that they weren't alone out among the cosmos. Silently falling in behind the soldier without being heard, Giselle had to scowl at the woman's choice in armor color.

The white paint job stood out like a sore thumb among the wooden and somewhat bright passageways that were lit up by simple torches situated in iron sconces at certain points along the walls. At least she had the advantage of stealth given her all black attire which included a full hood and cloak that concealed her features almost completely unless Giselle pulled the hood back and went for her swords which rested on her hips, situated in twin matching sheaths which held her heavily enchanted scimitar blades.

Alexandria had no idea she was being followed as she slowly moved forward, her weapon at the ready and her finger on the trigger. Silencers weren't used anymore given the advances in targeting, back tracing bullet trajectories through the armor suits targeting and sensing suites, and computer controlled compensators that allowed a gun to be fired in gale force winds with the same accuracy if one were practicing one's marksmanship on a calm day in a practice range.

Basically, save for sniper rifles and one's own cunning, there was little use in dampening down the noise a weapon of the future created when it came time to pull the trigger in a situation that demanded silence, and sniper rifles could be used at such an incredible range anymore that it was unlikely the intended target would hear the shot before it was too late anyway. All that aside, Shepard still practiced everyday and kept her skills sharp, so when the first black robed assassin appeared in a puff of black smoke, a ninja like mask covering the bottom half of his face, he had no chance of getting his knife to leave his hand before he was put down with a smoking hole in the center of his forehead. The noise echoed down the hallway, but it seemed they knew she was there anyway so it mattered little.

Giselle hadn't expected what she saw as a green projectile traveling faster than anything she had ever seen before left the woman's strange 'bow' and slam into the Hands of Glory assassin with enough force and power to split the back of his head open like a grape being smashed underfoot. "What in the gods name are you?" Giselle hadn't realized she had spoken aloud until Shepard turned fast on her heel and the half Drow was forced to move just as quickly to avoid being shot herself, a smoking hole appearing where she'd just been standing a second ago. "It was just a simple question! Was there a need to shoot at me?!" Giselle growled, having hidden herself in the rafters above after running up the wall as nimbly as any cat could have managed.

"You're quick on your feet, I'll give you that. I'm sorry for shooting at you but next time I wouldn't sneak up on someone that has an assault rifle on their person, you tend to live longer that way." Giselle had to take the woman's word for it, jumping down and landing easily on her feet without ever losing her slow pace forward before she stopped right in front of Alexandria. Pulling her hood back, it was Shepard's turn to look surprised since she hadn't seen a Drow before, although on the other hand she hadn't seen any of the races, except her own kind anyway, on this planet before today, so that probably wasn't saying a whole lot. "You must be Giselle, heard you might be coming this way. The description I got from the captain didn't do you justice though. You look ready to take this place on by yourself."

Giselle couldn't help but grin as Shepard relaxed and pointed her weapon at the floor between them, nodding to the woman's question. "Funny, can't say I've ever heard about you however, and I've traveled all over the countryside in my long life thus far. Never heard of a weapon or armor like yours before, whoever you are. Isn't it polite to introduce yourself by chance, preferably before you try to shoot someone?" Shepard laughed, a bit embarrassed for how things had started. She liked this woman already, sensing a familiar presence about her which was much like the Alliance Marine's own.

"Again I apologize for that and you're right, it is common practice to introduce yourself where I come from, so let me fix that by doing so now. My name is Alexandria Jones Shepard, and since I can see you won't be so easily fooled as the captain was earlier, I'll tell you what I didn't tell him. I'm not from this world. I come from quite a ways away from this place and until the ship I was on is repaired, I can't head back. I'm part of a military force called the Alliance Navy." Before she could say more though Giselle had stepped around the soldier, not believing a word of what she was saying, and since she had seen a second assassin pop up, had caught the dagger by its hilt he had thrown at Shepard's back and tossed it back after quickly twirling the blade around before throwing it back in the same breath, the blade finding the man's neck the next second.

Shepard had since turned around and saw only the last few seconds of the attack and rebound, amazed by her speed and grace as well as her dexterity, having never seen or heard of someone doing what the dark elf had just done. "Damn, remind me not to get on your bad side." She said more to herself than anything, but Giselle heard her all the same and offered a small nod after turning back to the human.

"Sorry, where were we? Oh yes, you're supposedly from the great cosmos which is just a bunch of random lights in the sky. Sorry to disappoint you Alexandria, but there's nothing out there besides darkness and stars. I will admit I've never seen anything close to what you wield, but there are plenty of explanations I can think of that don't involve the night sky. The first is that you're some kind of new demon I've never heard of before but you don't make my dark elven blood tingle in the least so that can't be right. And given the puzzled look on your face I'm guessing you've never heard of a dark elf before, or Drow as most would call my kind…well, half of what I am is Drow anyway. That's beside the point though."

Shepard had indeed been confused and so Giselle explained that because she was dark elf, half or otherwise, she was able to sense magical emanations from items or creatures, as well as spells being prepared to be cast but not the nature of them. Still seeing an even more confused look on the human's face gave the brown eyed warrior pause as the possibilities of her telling the truth started to sink in.

That…couldn't be possible though…could it? "You sure you didn't hit your head at some point? Everyone knows that magic is part of our everyday existence. Yet the look on your face…did you really come from beyond this world's surface Shepard? I find it extremely hard to believe personally but for the sake of argument, let's say you're not raving mad."

"Glad you're giving me a chance Giselle. I can prove I'm not crazy or trying to pull a fast one on you, but after we save the Grand Duke's daughter, alright? I'm not about to sit back and let some greedy guild hold an innocent girl hostage, regardless if this is my world or not." Giselle could agree to that statement, and given the fire she saw in Shepard's blue eyes she found she could at least work with the strange human until their mission was completed. She was about to say more until she heard a man's voice coming from the human's helmet. She raised an eyebrow but Alexandria turned and put a hand to the comms device on her helmet so that she could give a reply as soon as the captain finished speaking.

_"Status report Shepard, did you make contact with this Giselle Do'Urden and are you preparing to head into this mercenary group's lair?"_Giselle was at a loss for words as she looked around, curiosity clear as day on her ebon skinned face at who or what the human was speaking to, but could find no trace of anyone nearby. Figuring it for some kind of magic device which allowed for long range communication, she simply observed her companion for now, intending to get answers later.

"Yes to both questions sir. I'll even introduce you to her after the job is done and the girl is taken back to her family here in the city. You wouldn't believe what I've seen since coming to this place already, but you'll get a full report as soon as I get back." Shepard turned her head to Giselle who simply leaned against the wall for now, seemingly perfectly at ease around her now after the initial shock of hearing her talk to the air by all appearances. She'd really have to make sure her companion didn't think her crazy or even possessed by some foul spirit if what her hunches were telling her was even close to how this world worked in regards to technology way beyond them.

The Salem Witch hunts and how the church had executed anyone suspected of being in league with dark forces came to Shepard's mind, but her new companion seemed much more interested than afraid of her, which was a good thing in the Alliance Marine's opinion. She'd still have to be careful once they left the hideout however, lest she wanted to incite a riot which wouldn't likely end until she was dead or at least imprisoned and most likely awaiting execution.

Still, those happy thoughts were for later consideration, right now they had a job to do. _"Alright, Hastings out, and good luck Commander Shepard."_

With that out of the way, Shepard was free to move on as Giselle followed close behind, not about to take a chance of getting shot in the back by accident. Shepard could only grin behind her helmet given her friend's cautious nature. She couldn't blame the warrior for wanting to err on the side of caution, but it was clear it wasn't out of fear that she followed behind the Marine instead of taking point. Far from it in fact if what she had seen in Giselle's eyes was anything to go by before they had started down the hallway before them.

They had left the main entrance behind and climbed down a wooden ladder into a basement like area, except most basements didn't lead into an entire underground maze of stone and mortar with dozens of rooms full of enemies, traps, and other hazards waiting to claim the unwary. Before there had been two full levels like this, one on the street level and another underground, near the sewers, but age and renovations to the warehouse district had seen the base also altered and changed.

They were fully in enemy territory now and there was no turning back for either of them. Still, there wasn't time to ponder it further as the barks and snarls of dogs could be heard, guard dogs if the shouted commands from their human masters were anything to go by. Upon seeing a single door down a hallway straight ahead of them and two more branching paths going left and right from their current position, Giselle and Shepard looked at each other before they nodded, having reached a silent agreement on a plan of attack as they split up, and each pressed their backs against the walls on either side of the hall. They didn't have to wait long before their enemy released the hounds into the hall, the door bursting open before the dogs noisily rushed out, barking and growling all the while.

The black robed assassins didn't know what happened as in the next few seconds saw twin flashes of cold hard steel slice through three of their five guard dogs which to Shepard looked like Earth's version of a Rottweiler except the faces of the dogs were more in line with a spade's shape than the round head she was used to associating with the breed. The dogs that came at Shepard didn't get a chance to pounce as several smoking holes suddenly appeared in their flanks, stopping them cold about the same time that Giselle's twin scimitar blades had sliced through the other three with such ease that even with her suit's array of sensors, could barely keep track of her movements with her swords the dark elf was so fast. Blood dripped from the warrior's swords, evidence enough of the damage she had wrought in such a short time if not for the dead dogs at her feet which had been hacked into doggie kibble.

The assassins, six in all, weren't so eager to test their luck against either of the two but they didn't get a chance to try to run as Shepard fired into their ranks after popping out of her hiding spot, slaying four in the hail of MA fire, that followed. It was a good thing she had since they had been reaching for their throwing daggers, almost as fast as Giselle's hands had moved to reach for her own weapons on her slender hips. The other two fled back into the dead end room they had come out of, Giselle about to give chase until she was stopped by Shepard's hand on her right shoulder. "What are you doing? We have them on the run."

"They ran Giselle. As long as they don't try their luck when our backs are turned I'm not about to kill a fleeing opponent unless I know for sure they're dangerous enough that leaving them to gather strength to try something again later is a bad idea. I doubt that is the case here." Giselle didn't seem to agree as she yanked her shoulder out of the human's grip, her brown eyes narrowing to dangerous slits.

"You wouldn't agree if that was your own daughter being held prisoner right now. You wouldn't want to leave a single one of these assassin bastards alive to try something like this again if it was YOU being held hostage, Shepard." Something in Giselle's voice caught Alexandria's attention; making her wonder just what she had gone through to hate enemies like the ones they were up against with such a passion. There was a history there, but she sighed and had to shake her head before she managed to speak again.

"Alright, we'll make sure we get them all, but you owe me an explanation when this is over." Giselle was surprised by Shepard's agreement and her brown orbs said as much as she opened them wide. She offered a simple nod in agreement after recovering quickly from her initial surprise, leading the way into the room that the last two had fled too before they too fell between the two women. When the business was taken care of, it was Shepard's turn to be stopped as Giselle put a hand against her shoulder after stopping in front of her. "What's on your mind?"

"I'll agree to share whatever you want to know Shepard, but only if you agree to return the favor. Call me curious if nothing else." There was more to it than that but Giselle was keeping her face neutral, making her unreadable to the Marine's probing stare. It was only fair really, especially since they were stuck together, at least for the moment anyway. The future was uncertain so whatever came next would just have to be dealt with when it arrived. For all she knew they'd be stuck together for a while yet while the Hastings was repaired.

That aside though, Shepard simply nodded her head before Giselle let her move on, falling in behind her once more. What she really wanted was to hear or even see for herself where Alexandria had come from. She was always the curious one, the explorer, the restless wanderer as her father had teasingly called her once or twice.

And so it went, Giselle's sword skills were becoming more and more evident as they fought through wave after wave of assassins and their underlings, navigating their way through traps that had been expertly set by the Hands upon first setting up shop in the maze like Warehouse district. Fire ball shooting statues, pressure plated arrow traps that came out of the walls, a couple of pitfall traps that went into spike lined floors underneath the false floors which Shepard nearly fell into the last one.

If not for Giselle's quick reflexes, falling to the floor and catching her left arm, the Marine wouldn't have survived the short drop and the sudden stop she'd have experienced while being impaled painfully throughout her body before dying from the experience. "Jeez you're a lard ass Shepard!" Giselle groaned, giving it all she had to get Alexandria back on level ground while the human did her best to assist until they were both flat on their backs, panting from the exercise but grinning from how close that had been. Surviving a near death experience tended to make anyone a bit loopy for a few seconds if not longer, and they were no exceptions until a crossbow wielding human took a shot at them.

Both rolled to their feet and before Shepard could get a bead on the man in question, he was already back inside the room he had come out of, the last chamber in this place hopefully. They wouldn't be disappointed since it indeed was the last room they'd have to contend with, unfortunately there'd be a bit of a surprise waiting for them inside, at least for one of them anyway. Just like last time, the Hands had a leader, but unlike last time, this one wasn't a walking, talking rip off of Frankenstein's monster.

The room the two warriors entered was piled high with metal boxes, serving as barriers and makeshift little cubby holes for the last of the Hands to hole up while taking shots at the intruders with crossbows, bows, and throwing daggers. Upon walking into the room, the first thing that Giselle saw took her breath away since the one leading them was the last person she had expected to see. Shepard saw the look on the elf's face and had to wonder why she looked so stunned until she whispered the elderly man's name. "Marik…what…why are you here?!"

It was one of the few times that she was and ever had been afraid, and Marik, a seemingly harmless 50 something appearing human with medium length brown hair with its fair share of gray streaked through it, unusually colored yellow eyes, and a slender frame that seemed to possess a strength that went beyond the physical realm. Dressed in ornately embroidered black robes, while not an assassin himself, he had earned the Hands of Glory's respect and right to lead by passing every test and rite they had thrown his way before he had killed their former leader in single combat. He still had the scars to prove it despite the fact Marik was an accomplished dark mage of no small power and he possessed skill with a blade as well, a fact that Alexandria was about to find out.

When he spoke, it was clear they had not parted on happy terms as Shepard heard nothing but contempt and hatred in the man's otherwise soft voice. "I seem to remember that I said that if I ever saw you again I would kill you slowly, flaying your skin off of your bones one centimeter at a time Giselle. That was twenty years ago, so that would make you what, forty, fifty tops? I've had twenty years to think about how you nearly killed me when you found out I was working for the Zhenterim. I merely defended myself against your animal like assault on my person." Marik grinned wickedly, and Alexandria could tell that he was crazy, that fact obvious given the way he looked at her new ally who had taken several steps back until she was up against the wall, her earlier attitude and spirit gone.

She had clearly suffered at his hands, or she was a simpleton if the look on Giselle's face was anything to go by. This warrior woman that had taken to the strange alien visitor almost immediately with far more curiosity than fear, the same woman that had stood by Shepard's side during this entire affair with the Hands of Glory just to save the young girl that was in a small cage in the back of the room they were in now. Now she appeared white as a sheet, her brown eyes wide as saucers as she relived that last moment she had been with Marik when he had tried to choke the life out of her with his bare hands. Shepard had heard enough and aimed her gun towards the madman.

"I don't know who you are or what your history is with her, but I can tell you one thing." Marik hissed and turned his gaze towards Shepard, his yellow eyes burning with an intense hatred that almost had even the indomitable young marine shaking in her boots. "Whatever your problem is with her is also my problem now. Unless you want to end up with more holes than you can hope to plug up, I'd suggest you stand down now Marik. I pull this trigger and you'll be dead before you hit the floor." Marik just laughed, beckoning the human woman to give it her best shot.

Shepard didn't disappoint as she let loose until her gun overheated, the hail of green MA powered slugs slamming into the mage, yet he didn't flinch or move an inch as some kind of energy shield stopped every shot from touching him. Her suit sensors hadn't detected any shield technology or energy signatures of any kind, yet how was this madman still standing?! It was Shepard's turn to be alarmed, but not to the point she was crippled with fear as she turned to Giselle who still looked like she was caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. "Snap out of it Giselle! Whatever he did to you, now's your chance to even the score, but I need you with me to take this guy down!"

"Is that really the best you have? How pathetic! At least that bitch gave a better fight than you! It's my turn now. Prepare to die!" An orb of lightning appeared in Marik's right hand as he muttered an incantation, his lips giving voice to a foreign language that Shepard's translators couldn't make sense of until he threw his right hand forward, letting loose a blast of lightning right at the human who couldn't get out of the way fast enough. Her shields held but only just as the translucent blue kinetic barriers fizzled and shorted out. It was like being hit by a tech's Overload, her armor having a hard time harmlessly absorbing the lightning that had been thrown at her, but at least she was still standing.

Unlike an Overload though, Shepard knew the difference between what a tech threw and what Marik had thrown at her, and she knew that if her shields hadn't held up, she would have been hurting a great deal from the lightning he had cast her way. Marik raised an eyebrow as his spell had been blocked by a blue field of energy of some sort, but he turned his attention to Giselle next who had finally snapped out of her shock, for which Alexandria was quite grateful for as her shields restored themselves a few seconds later, just in time as a crossbow bolt slammed into her chest, or at least it would have if not for the kinetic barriers that kicked in which stopped it before it could hurt the soldier herself.

Turning to the right as Giselle charged forward, Shepard laid waste to the foolish assassin that had tried to take her out while she was distracted. Unfortunately a second had gotten in close and had managed to slip a dagger through her shields, even managing to cut through her armor enough to cut a thin line across her spine before the advanced metal stopped the blade cold even as it was torn by the man's ferocious attack against her.

Shepard growled and turned, her rifle's butt slamming into the man's face two times in rapid succession before she elbow rushed him. Pointing her gun down, aimed at the downed Hand assassin's chest, Shepard spilled his guts all over the floor with a few polonium tipped slugs before rolling forward just as a hail of thrown daggers slammed into the wooden floor where she'd just been standing. The Alliance Marine fired back as she took a crouching position, the metal bound boxes on the left side of the room having little chance to stop her rifle's deadly payload, slamming into the hiding assassins a second later, screams or gurgles soon following before they too fell silent.

It was only when the last of the Hands had been dealt with did Alexandria see and heard the sound of metal striking metal in a machine gun like barrage as Marik and Giselle went at each other's throats. A free floating magical blade danced and weaved around the dark elf/moon elf warrior who did her best to keep herself from getting sliced apart by Marik's blade which was an extension of his will.

What the sword was capable of was only limited by his imagination as far as what attacks it was capable of, and while nowhere near as skilled with a sword as Giselle, he didn't need to be with his enchanted sword since all he had to do was think what he wanted it to do, and his ensorcelled blade did it a moment later. Giselle had all she could handle as she fought desperately to keep her head attached to her shoulders, the pale blue glowing blade before her twisting, slashing, and thrusting at her every way possible, plus a few that shouldn't have been if it had been held by someone's sword hand rather than held up by magic.

Shepard couldn't get a shot off at Marik since the half Drow and the sword were in the way, and anytime she tried to move to get a better angle, Marik would see her try and force Giselle to back up in that same direction. His control was astounding, as was his skill with the enchanted blade which managed to land a hit across Giselle's right leg, right above the knee. She yelped and faltered, giving the madman another shot across her left arm, across her shoulder. Both cuts were shallow but painful, and because of all the fighting they had had to endure just to get here, the sword bearing elf was on her last legs. "This looks familiar to me. Where have I seen this before? Oh yes, when you tried to kill me." Marik laughed, silently commanding his sword to hold steady before the tired Drow warrior while he kept an eye on the human, just in case she decided to get cute and try to shoot him again.

"You ass…Marik." Giselle laughed without any trace of humor, shaking her head as she supported herself as best she could, her right hand scimitar blade sticking in the ground before her which she leaned on heavily until she could get her breath back. "I only tried to kill you…when you tried to choke the life out of me when I found out what kind of person you were. I was twenty years old at the time; I've had thirty years you fuck, to think about what you tried to do to me. I gave myself to you, not realizing what kind of monster you truly were at the time, and you ripped my heart to pieces Marik. I should have finished you off then, a mistake…I won't make again!"

Giselle snapped, having lost a hold of her left hand scimitar blade since that was the arm that had gotten cut earlier. Still, she raised that same hand and fired off one of her own magical spells at the mage, a frigid cold cone of frost erupting from her palm that surprised the mage as not only his sword was frozen in midair before it shattered upon the ground, but the man himself was unable to properly defend himself, having exhausted his own resources by then.

He died, having not expected to feel winter's cold grip envelope his entire body from the last person he had ever expected to hold a shred of magical power. Marik never knew where she had learned such magic, nor would he ever find out as Giselle stomped her way over to her frozen ex-boyfriend before she put her left foot through the man's frozen chest, shattering him into a thousand bloody pieces before she fell to the wooden floor, exhausted and unconscious as the ground slowly rushed up to meet her….

Shepard was glad the fight was over as she holstered her gun and immediately ran over to the fallen elf's side, kneeling by her to check for a pulse in her neck. Finding one after a few seconds of looking around for the right spot, Alexandria breathed a sigh of relief and went to the cage, shooting the lock off with her sidearm which was attached to her right hip. The girl was understandably afraid after what she had witnessed and wouldn't go near the soldier. "It's ok, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore."

Removing her helmet, the little girl saw that the strange metal creature before her was just another human, like her, and a reassured smile broke out across her face. "There, that's better. Come on, we need to get you out of here and back home." Shepard said, a small smile of her own appearing on her face as she looked to Giselle once more before looking back at the little girl, concerned for her written clear as day in her gaze. "I need you to stay here while I try to wake my friend, can you do that?"

The girl nodded silently, giving the half Drow a frightened look since she had been warned about her kind, same as anyone else that knew about the dark skinned creatures. Shepard could see the way she looked at her new ally and had to ask why she was afraid of the dark elf. The little girl looked up at Shepard as if she had grown a second head before she finally spoke, forcing Alexandria to strain her ears to hear what the girl had to say.

"Because…they live underground and…do terrible…awful things to people that they don't…murder in the dead of night first. They hate the sun and anyone that lives under it." The girl explained as best she could, her pauses clear signs of her struggling to find the right words to express just how evil they were, how terrible they were. Shepard had to wonder if it was justified, this fear of her companion since she had yet to see any sign of the monster that this little girl clearly saw.

Kneeling down beside her, Shepard did her best to reassure her of her friend's nature. "She helped me to save you. She stood by my side through this entire place and not once did she try to hurt me. She even saved my life on the way here. Trust me, Giselle wouldn't hurt a brave little girl like you." Said little girl still had her doubts but if what this woman said was true, then maybe she didn't need to worry? Alexandria had to suppress a smile as the child still stuck to her backside, not wanting to be too far from her, just in case. Oh well, she had tried, but Alexandria was curious however, now more than ever, about her companion and her origins.

It would have to wait though as she managed to convince the girl to stand by the cage for now before going for her comm link in her helmet, making sure she was out of earshot as she made arrangements for a shuttle to pick them up. She didn't want to waste anymore time in trying to carry Giselle up a ladder and to the edge of town, hoping she was only passed out from exhaustion and nothing more serious. Once that was taken care of, knowing that what she had just done would have serious repercussions for the planet's people since they had yet to be exposed to anything like a flying shuttle craft before, but this was an emergency.

She'd explain it to the Parliament back home if she had to as she gathered up Giselle's weapons, put them back in their respective sheaths, and slung the woman herself over her left shoulder before leading the way towards the ladder that was in the back of the room, tucked away in its own little cubby.

The little girl went first and opened the hatch that led up into an alleyway not far from where they had gone down to begin with if Shepard's sense of direction wasn't off and made her way to the main street of the city just as the small shuttle landed before them.

The little girl that was on her side was openly staring with her mouth all but hitting the cobblestone street, her green eyes as big as saucers, her short curly blonde hair fluttering about from the wind the Kodiak kicked up before settling down shortly before several other men that were dressed similarly as the human woman was, saluted their commander before helping her load up her companion. "Get her to the medical bay as soon as you get back to the ship. I have to drop this girl off at her home before I can come back." The men worked quickly to secure their new charge before the shuttle lifted off a moment later, leaving the two behind as the street suddenly came alive at the noise that had woken up everyone within a block's radius. Shepard was going to have a long day after this.

* * *

**Mordenkainen's Sword; **Mordenkainen's Sword brings a shimmering, swordlike plane of force into being, striking at any opponent within its range.

**Cone of Cold**; Cone of cold is an arcane spell that deals frost damage to all enemies in front of the caster. It is a point-blank area of effect spell. The area of effect is a 90 degree arc region extending 60' (18 m) in front of the caster. The spell will also slow down enemies for a short time.

**Zhentarim**; The Zhentarim are a mercenary company who, over their 200 years of existence, have experienced several leaps and bounds in terms of successes, but also several major defeats. They are a shadow of their former glory, but still an organization of great power and influence.

**Overload**; **Overload **is a tech power available to Engineers, Sentinels, Garrus, Miranda, Kasumi, EDI, Kaidan Alenko, Wilson, and Dr. Amanda Kenson. It shuts down an enemy's shields, rendering them vulnerable to attack. Overload is typically used to take down shields or synthetics, doing twice as much damage to shields as it does to synthetics, but will also cause any unshielded enemies using flamethrowers to explode. Starting at rank 3, Overload will cause the weapons of most unprotected enemies to overheat, making them unable to fire for a brief period. It can also be used on explosive containers to make them detonate more violently for added damage.


	5. Ch 4 More Questions Than Answers

_**A/N I have not read anything regarding Jarlaxle Baenre for some time, but I plan to catch up on the Drow mercenary leader in the days to come since he will be a reappearing character throughout this story. I do apologize if he's OC but I'm doing the best I can from memory at the moment. At any rate, thanks for continuing to read and I hope that this chapter, the longest yet even without any of the definitions and stuff I normally throw in, is as good as the rest thus far, if not better since I took a lot more time this go around to get it right. Anyway, enjoy!**_

**Chapter 4; More Questions Than Answers**

**2178 CE. March 4th  
**

**Baldur's Gate, the Western Heartlands**

**Duke Palace**

**Peaceful Negotiations…**

While Alexandria waited for the Kodiak shuttle craft to return with her CO since he had said that he wanted to meet the Duke and discuss a few things in person, (although why he hadn't come in the first place was a mystery to her,) the crowd they had gathered was getting a bit thicker until several bright flashes of light let off from several small marble sized pellets made everyone go back inside in a hurry. Someone wanted a fight or at least that's what they believed until they saw when they could see again that the little girl and the strangely armored woman were no longer visible, having disappeared in that same flash. Alexandria was alone in a dark room, having been forcibly pushed through a dimensional door, a feeling of vertigo having passed over her the moment she had been pushed through, but she had no idea that was what had happened. "Here barely a day and already you're causing waves." She was brought out of her thoughts, scrambled slightly as they were, by a voice she could not pinpoint the source of. "Oh don't worry; you and the little girl you saved tonight are safe Alexandria Shepard. The Harpers aren't the only organization that has taken quite the interest in you."

"Only a madman talks to the air. Come out now!" Alexandria said, not in the mood for games after what she had gone through already as she reached for her side arm only to find that she had been disarmed. "Wha?!" She gasped, surprised that not only that but all of her weapons were gone. They had been taking notes if they had known to take all of her gear, but at least she still had her armor so there was that if nothing else to be thankful for.

A cheery laugh greeted her ears and the marine was quite annoyed that whoever had her in this dark place seemed to know quite a bit about her, unaware that her arrival had been well noted and observed by a very skilled and powerful mercenary band from the Underdark that had long since moved to the surface. "Forgive my cautious nature Ms. Shepard but I couldn't risk getting my head blown off if our talks didn't go as planned. Hence why I had you disarmed but not stripped of your armor, and believe me, it wouldn't have taken us long to figure out how to do so. My men are the best at what they do and you have been watched since you had stopped talking with the captain of the city guard. I'm honestly surprised Giselle didn't pick up on us following you two throughout the Hands of Glory guild hall but maybe her namesake is not as well earned? Oh well, nothing for it now I suppose. Suffice it to say no matter what happens here, you will be let go and allowed to continue on your business, if you behave yourself of course."

"Alright, you want to talk, but I refuse to talk to thin air." Alexandria replied a bit more calmly, finding that there was a chair and a table before her after some blind fumbling until her eyes had started to adjust to the darkness around her. Sitting down, she soon got a good look at her 'host' and couldn't suppress a gasp of surprise given her recent talk with the girl about Drow, short and opinionated as it had been. Great, her first day here and already she had the attention of supposedly the most hated and dangerous of all creatures on this planet. Still, she'd save her own opinions for later, wanting to know more about them before drawing up any concrete conclusions of her own.

"Is this better Ms. Shepard?" Jarlaxle Baenre smirked, amusement clear as day in his red glowing eyes that were quite adept at piercing the shadows and darkness that his kind were quite used to back home. Slender, handsome, and tightly muscled, Jarlaxle couldn't help but notice that his guest couldn't keep her crystal blue eyes off of him for long, which just made his smile a little wider. There was not a hair on his head, having shaved it completely, but the wide brim hat with its white feather located in the band hid the bald plate he kept to symbolize he didn't consider himself part of the mostly female dominated cities of the Underdark, mainly his home city of Menzoberranzan. Where most Drow preferred to blend in with the shadows with dark purples and black colored outfits, Jarlaxle was not one to hide since he wore bright colors that made him look garish and foolish, yet he was still alive and even thriving where few Drow in his situation could have hoped to manage so well, if at all, so was it so foolish to look like a dandy as he did?

The people that knew him would say no, and his enemies that had fallen would also agree if they had a voice to speak with of course. Dozens of bracelets adorned his person as did a number of rings and other jewelry, most of them hung with bells that although he moved forward towards the other side of the simple table, made no sound at all. That shouldn't have been possible but given what she had seen in the last day; the 'impossible' on Toril was becoming easier to take in. High boots adorned his feet, a brightly colored cape that seemed to shimmer and change its color fluttered about behind him, and an eye patch rested above his right eye, unaware that most of his clothing and valuable items, the eye patch included, was magically enchanted to make the mercenary all the more deadly in a fight.

"Does all Drow dress like you do Jarlaxle?" Shepard asked, drawing another laugh from the man before her as he plopped down in the other chair and put his feet up on the table, seemingly perfectly at ease despite the stranger before him. He was taking a chance, not wearing his eye patch which shielded his mind from mental intrusions, but he quickly rectified that as he slipped it over his right eye. He had just gotten out of a tub before getting dressed for this meeting, his men having found the opportune time to nab their little human guest, so he had had to hurry to get here. Still, it hadn't taken him long and Bregan D'aerthe still knew where their loyalties laid, making it easy for the unusual Drow to fall back into his leadership position. Today was to be his first full day back in all honesty, today's events presenting him with untold opportunities if he played his cards right, hence why he had arranged this meeting. A little short notice sure but the fact his men had succeeded in getting the woman at all said much of their continued efficiency and skill. This was a once in a ten thousand year opportunity and he wasn't about to let it slip him by.

"No actually, most prefer to be hidden and simply stab you in the back. If you were unfortunate enough to be held prisoner by my people, if asked they'd tell you about the dandy, the fool, the dangerous mercenary leader of Bregan D'aerthe who at first glance wouldn't know the first thing about stealth and striking from a hidden position even if a shadow fell on top of him. But then they'd tell you how said leader had carved a name for himself in the female ruled society of Lolth's favored city of her dark people, Menzoberranzan, and then tell you that despite the fact that most of the leaders of the city would like nothing more than to rip his still beating heart out of his chest, he had made himself too valuable to kill a long time ago." Jarlaxle replied, his smile never leaving his face since it was all true and he quite enjoyed the status he had been given, especially since the power games they often played back home just served to make him richer in the end, or at least it had until certain events had made it a little hard for him to show his face.

Mainly having a hand in a certain ranger's escape, along with his friends during the height of an invasion on the surface had forced Jarlaxle to move his business ventures to the surface, but that was neither here nor there. Besides, his own mother had tried to sacrifice him to Lolth when he was a newborn child and had instead been forced to simply exile him because of an attack by another House at around the same time. He only knew about it because it made sense given he had had two older brothers already and no House in Menzoberranzan were allowed to have more than two male children according to Lolth's edicts, the Spider Queen herself if it pleases you. Goddess she was not, but even Jarlaxle was not foolish enough to say that to a priestess's face…not without assurances he'd live beyond saying such of course. All that just proved he really didn't belong in such a place but the few seconds he had let his mind wander didn't show on the man's face.

Alexandria had a feeling he was talking about himself. He was quite cocky and sure of himself, but if what he said was true and from what little she had been able to put together of Drow life from what she had heard so far, then why shouldn't he be proud of himself and his accomplishments? Still, that did raise the question of why she was here. "I hope there's a reason for all this Jarlaxle. You didn't sic your men on me just so we could have a friendly chat, besides, I was recently warned that Drow like you are murderers and to be feared."

"You heard that from a human seven year old girl and while it is true that we can't be trusted; that we slay, pillage, and generally love chaos and destruction as well as creating it, I doubt you're a fool to think we are all the same. There are exceptions to every rule Ms. Shepard, and I am no fool to believe you would believe otherwise, am I right?" Jarlaxle asked, never losing his cool or the smile he wore since he was quite used to the things the other races said about his own. It was all true anyway so there was no use in denying it. Shepard nodded since she didn't believe every member of a race was the same as their reputation said, and besides, she was still alive so that proved that not every dark skinned elf was ready to take her head off of her shoulders if given the slightest chance. "See, I was right about you, but I normally am about these things. For being a soldier you're quite intelligent and from what my allies said about your combat abilities, quite dangerous as well. I like that combination in a person, able to think for themselves yet also able to destroy anyone that gets in their way. What can I say, I'm a people person."

"Right. You keep on dancing away from why you brought me here however…" Alexandria said, getting more annoyed as time went on with this mercenary. She didn't like mercenaries much, mostly due to the Skyllian Blitz she had endured two years before. Pirate was just a fancier word for mercenary in her personal opinion, and she had killed many during their two day straight attack on the colony. Jarlaxle noted her impatience and acted surprise, further provoking the marine before him.

"Oh, I do apologize for that." She could tell he wasn't sorry in the least since his smile had yet to falter, but he did put his feet firmly on the ground a moment later before leaning forward a bit, getting down to business at last she hoped. "The truth of the matter is while we have no idea where you truly came from since I've been all over the face of Toril, and I can say that I've never seen anything like your gear before, I will say that I find you quite interesting. I want to learn more about you and where you came from Ms. Shepard. And before you try to lie to me, know that I can easily have your mind broken into since I have quite the skilled psionic on my team, meaning that if I give the signal, I can have him try to reach into your skull and read your thoughts. Do you think I'm bluffing?" Jarlaxle asked, his eye brows rising slightly in question, curious to hear what their 'guest' had to say. He didn't consider her a prisoner just yet, but depending on how cooperative she was would determine how she'd be treated. He was not one for taking chances, at least those that knew him knew as much since he planned everything he ever did when it came to dealing with other people, no matter the situation. Every contingency was thought of and every plan to mitigate or negate the damage done to his group altogether was also taken into consideration. This case however was one of the few times he let his curiosity dictate his actions.

"You talk of getting to know me but you aren't afraid of threatening me?" Shepard asked, able to tear her eyes away from Jarlaxle's form, not liking where this conversation had suddenly went. There were some things she didn't want known, mostly personal stuff but the secrets of the Alliance Military was a close second. The mercenary had every advantage and she was sure even in a fight just against Jarlaxle, she wouldn't last for long. She was way out of her depth but she still managed to keep her cool, barely though. His tactic of getting her angry and off balance had worked but now that she was getting used to his presence, she was starting to get herself back in a position to start thinking clearly again. "I can see where a man of your stature would think threats might work against everyone if it serves your purpose, but you don't seem the type to treat potential new allies in such a fashion." A sudden bout of inspiration and intuition had helped to form that sentence of hers, and she could see she had surprised the Drow as he let his smile flicker just for a second. He all but grinned as he leaned back again and put his feet on the table once more, nodding his agreement since she had seen through the ruse but not the bluff. He still could very easily give Kimmuriel, said mentioned psionist, the signal to try to read her thoughts but he held off only because she was right.

"Very astute Alexandria. Again you prove my guesses about you correct since I want a partnership between our two forces." He was about to say more but a flapping sound was heard shortly before a bat flew into the room before said creature landed on Jarlaxle's shoulder, turning into a simple black cloth after whispering something into the Drow's ear. The display only served to remind Alexandria she was in a world where the impossible was quite possible. Jarlaxle knew she had seen his little scout and its subsequent transformation and just grinned all the wider.

"It seems my little friend's scouting mission was successful despite the fact one of your own had taken a shot at him out of fright. The ship your people have in the Woods of Sharp Teeth is quite the impressive vessel. But don't worry; no harm is intended for them. Those woods are dangerous and so I asked myself, 'where could she have come from and how did she get here?' My answer was just provided for me at last." As soon as word had reached his ears about her point of origin earlier that day, he had sent a few of his men and his scout with them to learn more. The effort was well worth the risk this time despite the fact they had had to all but fly there the moment word reached Jarlaxle's ears about the newcomer in Baldur's Gate to make it back in time for the impromptu meeting he had arranged. His men were exhausted he was sure but again their loyalties had won out in his favor. That and a few well placed teleportation spells had helped speed their travels along…but the human didn't need to know how badly it had taxed his resident mage to do so.

There went the element of surprise if it had been required to bring the frigate into a position to completely bomb the Hell out of a place like this if Jarlaxle knew about the Hastings. He might know about the ship but not what it could do, but they couldn't risk innocent bystanders in such a display of military might, that and she wasn't personally thrilled with the idea of being in the middle of such a firestorm anyway so calling for a bombing run was out of the question. Besides that, she didn't know where she was anyway so it was a moot point regardless. Her military train of thought besides, Alexandria didn't want to start a war with an enemy they knew so little about, remembering the trolls that had killed her men on her way to Baldur's Gate. If they had something like that wandering around, what else was here? Did she even want to know? Clearing her thoughts of the matter for now, Alexandria nodded in agreement and Jarlaxle all but grinned from ear to ear. "What do you want to know first?"

Taking a pouch out of a chest pocket although where said pocket was Alexandria couldn't tell since her Drow host's hand was too fast to see in the dark, Jarlaxle put the little bundle between them before the human picked it up and took a closer look. "Identify that for me if you will. It's been appearing for forty years in the possession of mages, wizards, and sorcerers alike and we've yet to figure out what it is or where it's coming from, only what it does." Shepard recognized it immediately as her omni-tool flashed a warning in its holographic display. Jarlaxle stiffened slightly at the orange light that suddenly appeared before him, stinging his eyes a little, but otherwise he remained still. Alexandria didn't notice as she read the name and contents of the drug before her, having not expected to see Red Sand here of all places. She had forgotten that she had set her omni-tool to silent scan mode earlier and now she was really glad she had since the chemical compound she was seeing was identical to the biotic enhancing drug that was illegally sold all across the known galaxy despite the Citadel Council's best efforts to get rid of it.

She knew what it was since she had helped accidentally bust another soldier for having possession of the stuff when she was still a civilian on yet another ship with her parents. A former friend of hers, a few years older than her 16 years of age at the time, had been hooked on the stuff and while it was known he was a biotic, they hadn't known he was working with the Eclipse as an informant, setting up supply ships for raids by one of the smarter groups of mercenaries that ran amok out there. When the truth came out, it also came out a missing engineer had been murdered by her former friend, which made sense for the Eclipse rules of membership which said that each new recruit had to murder someone before being given the uniform. Turning to Jarlaxle, Alexandria's blue eyes flared dangerously since she didn't like the implications of Red Sand being on a backwater planet like this at all. "What you have there is called Red Sand; it's a dangerous and illegal drug where I come from. It's outlawed in nearly every corner of this galaxy yet it is worth a lot of money to the right people, and like anything illegal, people go to great lengths to get their hands on it and those that know how to make it keep delivering. You said that mages, wizards, and sorcerers have been found with this?"

Jarlaxle nodded and turned to a hidden member of his group who nodded silently before going to collect their prisoner. "I wouldn't have worried so much about it since a common saying here on our world says that it's best to leave the affairs of wizards and their ilk to wizards, but then we managed to get our hands on someone that like this Red Sand, he or she, I haven't been able to tell which and neither have my men, has never before been seen on this world before. They managed to seriously injure two of my group with strange magical blasts from a weapon like your own, but they are doing better now at least, otherwise I'd have had them killed then and there, if I was like my darker brood of course. Suffice it to say, we've kept them alive just in case we found where the rest of them hole up. Maybe you can help us there as well?" Shepard nodded, having too many things of her own to tend to yet before she could even consider helping to break up whatever was going on here. If there was a smuggler's den of some sort here on Toril, then she needed to inform her superiors as soon as she got what she needed out of their prisoner or prisoners. "Despite our best efforts, they've managed to stay pretty tight lipped about their operations here. Maybe you'll have better luck?"

Shepard was afraid to ask what said efforts had entailed but she soon had her answer as she saw a beaten and battered Salarian be pushed into the dark room before two more armored Drow warriors sat the alien down in the only chair that was left, at least the only one she could see anyway. She hadn't seen the Drow guard until he had opened the door to retrieve the prisoner Salarian, so that wasn't saying a whole lot at the moment for her eye sight. All that aside though, she stood and approached the mostly dusky gray creature before her, a few red stripes decorating his horn like protrusions on the top of his head the only color change she could readily see. He was in the yellow Eclipse uniform though, that much was clear but the damage done to it and the person underneath was also easy to see. Burn marks across the chest, several crossbow bolt made holes in the back yet the skin underneath was unmarked from what she could see. The only recent damage she could see at present were chafe marks from the iron manacles they had put on the man's hands which were tied tightly behind his back. "It had tried to escape several times and only by destroying the source of whatever magic it had been using after we finally found it did the escape attempts stop."

"How'd you capture him? And yes, it is a him." Alexandria confirmed for Jarlaxle, earning a simple nod from the Drow, glad for that much at least. "What's your name, why are you here?" Shepard asked, venom clear in her voice as she leaned in close, nearly eye to giant pupil with the Salarian before her. The alien just grinned and tried to spit in Shepard's face but the Drow behind him grabbed a hold of his horns and pulled back hard, almost snapping the creature's neck in the process. The Salarian growled but said nothing.

"Sorry, should have warned you but he likes to spit. Rather foul mannered if you ask me but we have been holding him prisoner for a month so I can't say I blame him for being upset." Jarlaxle grinned, earning an annoyed look from Shepard before both turned to the Salarian who still looked as upset as ever. "I'm not a personal fan of torture like my kin are Ms. Shepard but I am not afraid to use it either if nothing else works. I know he understands us and he has talked in the Common Trade Language used over most of Toril, yet how he understood my native tongue I am a bit confused about. I gave a couple of orders in Drow and he seemed able to immediately pick up on the difference but he wasn't able to speak it himself, but more likely he was unwilling period."

"There's an easy explanation for that." Shepard replied, having done her quick examination and found where a number of fist sized bruises and cuts had been left behind which was consistent with Jarlaxle's admittance of torturing the Salarian. Sitting back down, the Drow mercenary leader waved his hand for her to continue, curiosity getting the better of him. "Oh right, to put it simply nearly everyone where I come from are implanted with what we call a universal translator. It allows us to understand and be understood no matter what language we come across, that's how we can talk so easily with each other. It wasn't always so easy but thankfully it is now which makes dealing with the countless other races out among the stars all that much simpler, at least as far as actually understanding each other is concerned. There are still words and phrases that might get lost in translation or the translator can be adjusted to allow certain words and the like to still be heard in their native tongue, but for the most part it works as I described."

Jarlaxle was intrigued although not as much as Shepard would have thought. He shrugged and leaned back in his chair once more. "We have magic spells and incantations, as well as some magic items that do the same thing. Given your experience with our ice throwing half breed Giselle and her now dead lover, may the Abyss take him, I'm sure you can believe that it's possible for such things here." Shepard nodded but she cocked her head to the side since she hadn't thought he cared enough to seemingly curse Marik as he just had.

"Surprised I care about the Do'Urden woman? Yes, I'll readily admit that her father and I have had a few adventures of our own. We recently saved Neverwinter from being buried, again, as well as what was left of Luskan at the time from a massively powerful entity called a Primordial a couple decades ago. Before that there was more but those are stories better asked of Giselle and her family themselves since I have more pressing matters here. The reason why I want this drug gone is because it's dangerous. You haven't seen what a mage hyped up on this stuff can do. Even a rank amateur could easily level a small town in a matter of minutes. A lot has changed since last I walked Menzoberranzan's dark halls, I have actually started to care for those I come into contact with….usually; I blame Drizzt and his friends for that." He joked, but Shepard could see in Jarlaxle's red eyes that he missed said friends of this man he called Drizzt. Drizzt she rightfully assumed was Giselle's father. "As you yourself said, it's illegal out there, and if you can help make it disappear here or at least point me and my group in the right direction, it would be greatly appreciated, and hey, you'll have earned yourself a new ally here in Toril since I'm sure you won't be the last visitors we get out here."

"You're right, I probably won't be. The Council, the ruling government for the entire galaxy except for a few small parts, will most likely send contact teams to try to come to some kind of peaceful agreement with this world's population and see where things go from there. I'm sure my CO will be happy to help get things rolling as far as taking care of our mutual problem." She said, looking at the Salarian just as Jarlaxle did, the Salarian himself having looked away. Then a thought occurred to her, something that Jarlaxle had mentioned earlier. "Didn't you mention you had someone that could read minds? Why didn't you do that to this guy if you were so worried about the Red Sand?"

Jarlaxle shrugged but sighed since this wasn't just his story to tell. Kimmuriel was not going to be happy but he needed Shepard's trust if he wanted that stuff gone, or at least Jarlaxle thought he wouldn't be happy anyway. His faithful lieutenant was so unemotional it was very hard to get any truly passionate response out of him, but that didn't stop Jarlaxle from trying, just for his own personal amusement if nothing else. He had done quite a good job though, running Bregan D'aerthe during the leader's sabbatical to the surface so he did deserve quite a bit of credit for keeping things together as he had, although it was always at a cost if Jarlaxle ever asked for any favors without taking back leadership, as he knew Kimmuriel wish he would so he could get back to developing his psionic abilities and continuing his research into Illithids, or mind flayers as they were more commonly called. All that aside, he didn't have to signal for his second in command's presence as Kimmuriel himself appeared behind the Salarian, taking the guard's place once the Drow warrior knew there was someone behind him. Shepard immediately felt chilled to the bone given the stony expression that met her crystal blue eyes.

He was like Jarlaxle in his facial appearance only. Where the mercenary leader was bald and clean shaven, Kimmuriel was typical in his appearance by Drow standards, (although she didn't know that), meaning he wore his hair long and down both of his shoulders and his back as well. It was well taken care of too from the look of the healthy if unnatural silver shade it possessed. His eyes were of course red, something Alexandria was getting used to given they lived in the dark for most if not all of their lives as far as she could tell. It would explain the dark room, although Jarlaxle's earlier comments also came to mind regarding where their home city was in relation to the surface. Kimmuriel's black and purple threaded robes also matched with Jarlaxle's comment regarding most Drow's habit of striking from the shadows. It was the look in his eyes that caught her instincts and sent them to red alert, to put it one way. There was a coldness there that was reserved for killers, merciless and cruel, and she had seen her fair share of them on holoscreens and news networks back home to recognize the look. Jarlaxle at least didn't seem nearly so cold, at least he didn't seem that way anyway. Kimmuriel simply glanced at the human but looked to the Salarian again; paying her no more mind as if she were an insignificant bug to be examined at his leisure.

Jarlaxle didn't seem bothered by him at all Alexandria noticed. "Ah Kimmuriel, so glad you could join us old friend." Kimmuriel's face remained unchanged. No surprise but Jarlaxle kept going. "Explain to our guest if you would about why you won't try to read this creature's thoughts." The mercenary leader received the briefest of glares from the psionist but he turned his gaze to Alexandria next who was determined to not be so easily cowed again. Jarlaxle had to give the human credit for trying since she wasn't the only one that found it hard to meet the gaze of such a cold hearted individual. They hadn't earned their reputation for nothing after all.

Kimmuriel looked bored but in reality he was not happy since his power normally worked regardless of who a person was or what they happened to be, unless they knew enough to keep their thoughts guarded from the likes of him. This thing, whatever in the Nine Hells it was, he could not get a handle on it, and he didn't like it. He didn't like feeling powerless against anyone, but his disciplined mind wouldn't allow him to rant and rage over it either. "I simply cannot penetrate its thoughts. It is alien in every sense of the word, and I had suggested that we simply kill it and be done with this business, but Jarlaxle insists that we stop this thing and its allies at their source." Kimmuriel replied, his voice holding the slightest bit of annoyance that everyone present could detect if they were observant enough. Alexandria didn't miss it, a fact that Jarlaxle noted with a small smile of his own which disappeared before the human could see it when she looked back to him.

"No need to be like that old friend. We all have our challenges in life. You just happened to find something you can't mentally dominate is all." Jarlaxle replied, positively beaming but he grew serious a moment later as he looked to their guest. "He did suggest we kill it but what he didn't say was that he had wanted to examine the thing's corpse afterward so that he might better understand why he couldn't see into his thoughts. That's Kimmuriel for you though, always the researcher. But that aside, now you see our problem." Alexandria nodded, unsure how Kimmuriel's abilities worked but she had a few guesses. She was no xenobiologist by any means but the one thought that came to mind was that the Salarian was too different from what Kimmuriel was used to dealing with, so he just hadn't figured out a way to make his power work was all. Regardless of the reason, this was going to be trickier than she thought if the Eclipse merc hadn't broken yet under their interrogation techniques, whatever they might have been.

The Salarian had finally had enough as far as being talked about as if he wasn't even there and spoke for the first time, fast and quick as any Salarian since they lived short lives yet they developed fast, moved fast, thought fast, and generally considered the other races slow because of it. "I can hear you all you know. Being held in this man's 'care' for a month hasn't exactly been comfortable. For being a backwater dirt pile they have some creative means of torture that the Batarians would just love to learn." He said, his lizard like eyes full of venom for his captors mostly but his hatred extended to the System Alliance bitch that had joined them, Alexandria quickly realized. "And you're just as bad, human. Your kind shouldn't have been allowed out of the primordial muck you crawled out of, let alone allowed to join the other Council races as you have in recent years." It was going to be like that Alexandria realized. He wasn't the only one that thought humanity didn't deserve what they had in regards to the other Citadel races, but she wasn't here for that particular song and dance.

"Ah he speaks at last. I was wondering if these people had ripped your tongue out personally." Alexandria stood, cracking her knuckles as she let her voice fill with her own version of 'don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you' tone of voice. "You're lucky I don't just walk out of here and let them have at you some more, after I give them a detailed biological profile on how to really get to you, Eclipse fuck." The Salarian wasn't sure what to think on that. She was System Alliance; they didn't torture their prisoners, even their alien POWs….right? They didn't let others do it either if they knew about it and could do something about it, right? Her tone of voice made him question his earlier resistance however since he really didn't want to know how much more effective Jarlaxle's men might become if armed with such knowledge, a fact that Jarlaxle and Alexandria, as well as Kimmuriel could see for themselves. The psionist briefly looked impressed but the facial expression came and went so quickly Jaraxle was the only one that saw it.

It wasn't going to be quite that easy though as they all would see in a moment. "And why would I tell you what I haven't told these backwater 'people', human? What better deal could you give me that doesn't involve a prison cell or worse, a death sentence? Answer me that." The Salarian barked, struggling against his shackles a little only to be punched on the back of his head hard enough to leave a bruise she was sure. The Salarian snapped his gaze over his right shoulder at the stony faced Kimmuriel and had to look away after only a few seconds. Alexandria was glad she wasn't the only one that found him unnerving as she spoke again, coming to a stop on his left side before leaning in close to his face, her eyes meeting his so there was no confusion about her sincerity.

"Because I don't lie when I make a promise, but fuck with me or lead me in the wrong direction and you won't have to worry about them torturing you since I'll kill you myself. I am not in the mood to be fucked with. Work with me and I can get you out of here." She snapped her gaze to Jarlaxle but he didn't give anything in return regarding his agreement or his displeasure regarding what had just been offered away on his face. He had a good poker face working for him.

"And what promise can I expect from the leader of Bregan D'aearthe?" The Salarian asked Jarlaxle directly, earning a cheery and apparently disarming smile from the Drow himself as he watched the little exchange between the human and his alien prisoner.

"Considering it took almost a dozen men to capture you originally and you nearly killed two of them, the map you are going to draw better be pretty detailed regarding defenses, patrols of your people, and anything else that might help my group overrun the place before I commit to anything." Jarlaxle countered; his voice sounded cheery but Kimmuriel knew better than to assume he was in a good mood. He had gone up against one of the mages that had been taking the drug and the psionist could attest to just how dangerous they were becoming. While he could care less about the fate of the surface, he knew Jarlaxle did if for no better reason than he hated chaos not created by his own hand, and while these days he acted less and less like a true Drow, the mentalist would never betray the man since he had given Kimmeriul a home after his own House had been annihilated long ago, so he stuck with him through everything Jarlaxle got them involved in. This latest venture was just another in a long string of them was all.

A scroll and an actual ink jar and quill were provided for the Salarian who looked at the items provided like Jarlaxle had grown a second head. Alexandria sighed but got why the Salarian was thrown for a loop. Jarlaxle was quick to catch on as well but it still amazed him all the same, something that was very hard to do. On the other hand, in retrospect he hadn't considered life beyond Toril until a month ago and the appearance of this creature had toppled everything he thought he had ever known about the world as a whole. To his credit though he had recovered quickly and had adapted just as quickly. He had to be able to do so since he had survived as long as he had. The Salarian had simply never written anything in his life on paper was the problem. "Ok, directions then, detailed directions, location of your base, and of course the aforementioned requirements will suffice."

The Salarian nodded but was still unsure if he'd get a chance to walk out of this room alive since Jarlaxle hadn't said one way or the other if he'd be allowed to live if he did spill the beans. What did he have to lose now though? He was already a prisoner, not like he could just get up and walk out if he wanted to, especially with the System Alliance getting involved. At least with the human present he might have a chance….provided she didn't kill him herself of course if he did try to lie and weasel his way out. A map was provided then after the ink jar, feather quill pen, and scroll was removed from the table before the map was unrolled before the Salarian, featuring every known city, ruin, forest, and other known notable geological features. The size was astounding to Alexandria, but she noticed that a large portion of the eastern part of the world around a part of the map that looked more like a giant hole called the Underchasm, was mostly blank on this map. Why was that? She didn't get a chance to ask though as the Salarian let his finger fall on a place called Dragonspear Castle. Jarlaxle seemed satisfied and as much as it pained him to do it he nodded for his men to let the Salarian go, with one condition of course. "Can you take care of our 'guest, Alexandria?"

"Of course. He'll be taken off your world as soon as I get back in contact with my superiors. We'll take him to be judged accordingly where he'll serve time in one of our prisons or one ran by his own people. Either way, he won't be a bother to you anymore." Alexandria replied, earning another small nod from the mercenary leader as he stood to his feet and beckoned for his guards to help their 'guest' to his feet.

"That's not good enough." Jarlaxle replied, and before anyone could move save for Kimmuriel, and he wasn't about to get in the way of their version of justice, the Drow's hands moved in a blur before three daggers seemingly appeared in the Salarian's throat and head, the first winding up in his throat while the last seemed to appear right between his eyes. The Salarian blinked once in absolute surprise before he slumped back into the chair he had started to get out of before he fell face forward onto the table. Alexandria's blue eyes were as big as saucers at the murder that had taken place right before her in the time it took her to breath, having just seen the edge of two bracers that Jarlaxle wore on his wrists before they disappeared back under his shirt sleeves. She took a few seconds to get her nerves back in order before leveling her venom filled glare towards Jarlaxle once more.

"I made no secret about what kind of people we are Alexandria. Drow justice, for lack of a better word, often times demands blood for blood. We live for revenge, we thrive on it. He nearly killed my men and I simply finished a potential problem off before it became one, nothing more." Jarlaxle replied in a tone that said it was something he was quite used to doing and he wasn't about to change in regards to killing if it suited his purposes or served his goals in the long run. "Besides, it didn't sound like he had a lot of hope of going free either, I did him a favor."

"A favor?! You just murdered him in cold blood right in front of me! He was unarmed and yes, he had a life sentence of prison to look forward to most likely, but this is where we differ." She didn't bother trying to say anything along the lines if he did it again she'd kill him herself since she doubted it'd have done her any good, but it was still in her voice all the same, that unspoken threat. Jarlaxle just grinned, admiring Alexandria's spunk and spirit despite the fact they both knew she was in deep trouble if she tried to fight her way out as they both stood from the table, having dragged things out long enough.

"I have an attack on Dragonspear Castle to prepare and your superiors are coming back to the city. You have a little girl to take back to her family, and I have a drug war to wage. We are both busy busy busy, wouldn't you say? So, despite our very different ways of doing things, that offer of alliance still stands Ms. Shepard." Alexandria sighed but saw no other way around it. It felt like she was selling her soul to the devil in a sense but really, they'd need all the help they could get if the Eclipse did have a presence here. Who knew who else or what else they'd find out here? Her superiors needed to know and she couldn't do anything if she was dead too, hidden away in God knew where, and Jarlaxle knew it.

"Just so you know, I won't have forgotten this just because an alliance was made between us Jarlaxle Baenre. Someday I will make you answer for your crimes." Alexandria replied, squeezing the offered hand that was given to her to shake, but when she tried to pull away, Jarlaxle kept her hand still in an almost crushing grip. She saw a piece of white thread seemingly appear in his other hand before Kimmuriel was suddenly beside them, binding their wrists together with the thread. She struggled but she couldn't get away fast enough as a blue light appeared around the thread before it sunk into their joined flesh after the mentalist among them finished his incantation. "What did you just do to me?!" Alexandria growled, having a feeling she wasn't going to like the answer. She was right not to.

"Kimmuriel gave me a bit of insurance just in case you did get the drop on me, however unlikely. You and I have been fate linked, meaning that if I were to say, accidentally walk off the side of a cliff, unless you proved stronger than his magic, you'd suffer the exact same injuries as me at exactly the same time. The same goes for you of course. Any injuries, or gods forbid, death that you might suffer, I too would feel the same thing unless I managed to resist and negate his spell. It's a chance but also a good way to make sure you didn't attempt anything to harm me given your clear dislike of me Alexandria." There were limits to how long his spell would work but she didn't need to know that…yet. It wasn't affected by range however which would prove handy for as long as it did last. "If you don't believe me I can demonstrate it's effectiveness for you."

"I'm sure you would. Our business is done, now let me out of here before I take a chance anyway." Jarlaxle just grinned and swept his wide brimmed hat before him as the door opened to allow Alexandria out of the dark room she had been held in for the last hour. She brushed back Kimmuriel who just smirked, having done his job since he could see the thread's mark on their skin, having a clear indication his spell worked. He was powerful enough that his magic wouldn't fade for at least two months, and it could always be renewed. It could also be negated but it'd take a strong mage to do so, and given her experience with magic so far it was unlikely she'd try to find someone to help her.

"Don't hate me Alexandria, I'm not your enemy no matter what you might think of me now." He called over his shoulder, not even earning a backward glance as she saw that the next room was her old room in the Purple Wyrm Inn, her weaponry all laid out on the bed in a neat little row. Turning back, she saw she had just walked out of a wall only to see the dimensional door she had been sent through disappear right before her, slamming shut just as she saw the Kodiak shuttle land outside once more from the window. The little girl was sent through a similar door a moment later, and upon seeing Alexandria, immediately rushed over to her and hugged her, tears of relief running down her face. Alexandria temporarily forgot her troubles and knelt down to hug her in turn.

"It's ok, it's over now." Alexandria said, earning a tighter hug as the little girl's face rested against the right side of her neck, burying her face in her short black hair. Whatever happened from here, fate linked to Jarlaxle as she was, the marine hoped that the rest of her day would run a bit more smoothly since she didn't know how much more of Toril she could take if everyone turned out like the Drow mercenary leader had already. She had shore leave coming up and if allowed, she had plans to hop the first shuttle back home before taking any more missions or assignments after today. Of course, what she wanted to do and what would happen, most likely would be two very different things.


	6. Ch 5 Another Side to the Same Story

_A/N; Sorry for the long delay in a new chapter. Had a ton of RL stuff come up but thankfully things have settled down. This chapter will explore another of my original characters I have created alongside Giselle and the rest of her unofficial family ties to the famous Drizzt Do'Urden, creation of one R.A. Salvatore who I admire quite a bit. Anyway, hope you enjoy this newest addition!_

_A/N Addition; I had not forgotten this story, not in the least, just that for a while my muse had fallen dormant any time I looked at this thing. Hopefully however that will change now that things have settled down once again. I will say that I plan to attempt to explain how magic can possibly work on Toril through the use of some techno babble, which I might not do as well as some but I still hope to accomplish all the same lol. Hope you all enjoy!_

_**Warning, Warning; **__Sexual content advisory. This chapter is also not for the faint of heart. You'll see why soon enough._

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**Chapter 5; Another Side to the Same Story.**

**1435 DR**

**Mass Grave Site in the Trollbark Forest. Western Heartlands.**

**Former Elven Encampment.**

**The Forgotten Realms of Toril.**

It had been 45 years; it had only been 45 years. It still felt like yesterday to the young light elf maiden, while other days she could look to the horizon and not feel the grief constrict her heart like a vice. Today was….not one of those days as she knelt in the flower strewn clearing in the middle of the Trollbark Forest and wept silently, tears falling down her beautiful white porcelain face as she prayed in the tongue of her people that her lost friends and family would find peace. Just being here was enough to make her wish she had shared their fate but she knew that was not what her mother would have wanted for her if she were still here. She knew that her father would have said the very same thing as they had held her close and chased silly nightmares away, the dreams of a young child still during those far happier days before they had all been taken in a single terrible night.

Her long golden lustrous hair fell down like waves down the middle of her back which was tucked behind her ears with ivory hair pins to control it further, which in turn had been made from the bones of knucklehead trout found up in the far uncivilized northwestern lands of Icewind Dale. She had taken a trip with a good friend there not so long ago, and despite the ice covered land's reputation of being nothing more than a wasteland of snow and ice, she had found a measure of peace there for her tortured soul. Neria Zathrieal owed her dear friend a great deal for that single trip to where the warrior's father had once resided for a time on the surface with good friends of his own. The memory of that trip brought a small smile to the light elf's face as Neria gently clasped the silver crescent shaped moon emblem of her people's main deity, Corellan Larathain, the elven god of war and protection, in her right hand for a moment.

She looked to where she knew her friend to be, having received a message through the use of a courier pigeon a week ago at a temple devoted to Sune she had been residing at for the past year, telling her where the ranger was to be during her latest job if they wanted to meet up. Neria was no slouch to the warrior arts, being a cleric of no small skill and ability of her own although when it came to sword fighting, she was nowhere near as skilled as her friend. Of course, that was to be expected of one Do'Urden to another. Despite all this, she had sent a message back the same day, promising to meet her as soon as she could.

She had needed to make this trip first though, as she did every year for the past 40 years. It helped with the healing process her old mentor had recommended before she had buried him thirty five years ago, here no less since he had done so much for her before he had joined his own family in the after life. He had been quite old by human standards even before he had rescued Neria the day of the orc attack, having arrived with a large group of his own friends and allies in pursuit of the very band that had wiped out several small settlements all those years ago. He had arrived several hours too late to do anything for her family however except to help bury them all, but he took the then 15 year old Neria under his wing and protected her, trained her, and taught her everything he knew while slowly coaxing her out of her shell she had put around herself at the time.

It had taken many years, but eventually Neria had regained a semblance of her former self with her mentor's cleric training which extended beyond the healing of the physical self. He had had a way about him that had made even the emotionally destroyed Neria respond positively to his soft and gentle nature. The only time he had ever raised his hand in anger was in the defense of others. A whole other side of him came forth then, one that blazed with the holy power of his god behind his sword and shield which had struck down everything from orcs to vampires in the ten years she had known him.

Having since stood from the glade she had settled herself upon, Neria slowly stood and did her best to avoid trampling underfoot as few flowers that had overtaken this beautiful place as she could as she made her way to the only actual grave markers that could be seen anywhere in the clearing. Two belonged to her parents, and the one beside them was that of her mentor. Drying her eyes with the back of her right hand, Neria knelt once more and pulled her heavy backpack off of her shoulders and pulled out a wreath of white lilies for her mother's grave, gingerly putting the wreath on the dirt mound that bore a stone pile of small rocks in the form of a small cairn. It was the best she could do at the time with her mentor's help, but it was enough for the dead on top of having consecrated the ground in the ways of the elves so the dead would stay buried for good. The fact the man had taken into consideration the burial rites of the elves over his own god of choice had touched Neria in a way she hadn't been able to express into words at the time.

She couldn't stop a couple more tears from forming in her deep, sea green eyes which sat in the face the gods had blessed her with. She didn't bother to wipe them away as they fell down her ageless perfectly round face, not ashamed of the tears anymore as she had been once upon a time. Survivor's guilt still weighed heavy on her very being, but she had gotten past the majority of her emotional anguish over the years. "_Mother….how I miss you and father both. I wish everyday that I could see you both again….but I know in my heart I shall, many years from now as long as I stay true to what you both taught me with the time we had together, short as it was for us all." _The words were spoken in elven, finding it impossible to speak in the common tongue for those she had loved more than anything else in the world, even more than the old warrior that had saved her not a day later.

Turning to the next grave in line, Neria pulled out a beautiful figurine made out of the same bone that her hair pins were made out of. It was carved in the image of her father, by Giselle's hand no less. She ran her hand over the small miniature of her father's form, truly glad that the half Drow had been brought to her when she had been after a red dragon had nearly killed the woman. Giselle, after they had gotten to know each other a great deal, had been kind enough to carve something for the light elf during their trip to Icewind Dale, having learned the craft of scrimshaw carving from a former Halfling thief by the name of Regis. By Neria's understanding, Giselle had somehow found the clearing that housed Cattie-Brie and the Halfling when so many others had tried and failed in the past, and she had been allowed to stay for a time in that woodland paradise by Meilikki's blessing.

Neria believed it since she was a strong believer in such divine signs and the like. She had strong faith in the gods even though she had every reason not to given her own past. So to her, it seemed only natural that she'd leave the carving of her father carved by the Do'Urden woman here at her father's grave. Last but not least she said a blessing prayer over the grave of her mentor in human to his own god as he had done for her family and friends in elven. With that taken care of, she slowly departed the clearing, heading for Baldur's Gate. She needed to find Giselle before she disappeared off the map again as she was quite well known to do from time to time. There were….some things they needed to discuss. Just thinking about the urgency of her mission brought to bear the memories of the last month, portents or dreams sent from her god, she wasn't sure. All she knew for sure was that they had gotten her attention quite a bit given the signs she had managed to make out were mixed with those of her most horrible nightmares.

_Her parents, loved ones, and friends were dancing around a fire as was often their nature during such a beautiful night as this. The moon was only half full but the weather was amazingly comfortable for such things, not too hot or too cold. The harvest from the forests they called home was abundant, they were surrounded by the beauty of the forest, they had their friends and family beside them to share the blessings of the gods and that was enough for them. They enjoyed life and paid it the respect it deserved as it gave them everything they needed to live full, happy lives. Tales were spun, songs were sang, there was no reason to be unhappy as far as a much younger Neria was concerned as she watched the pleasant proceedings with a beaming smile on her face._

_Too much good wine and food however made it easy for the orcs to sneak up upon their camp. There were not nearly enough guards on the borders of their camp to stop what fell upon them. Orcs swept through their entire camp and slaughtered anyone that dared to stand in their way. Neria's mother had been wise enough despite the panic and chaos around them to hide Neria in a hollowed out log and push it down the hill, getting her daughter out of harm's way before she could be harmed as well. Neria herself had been far too terrified to come out of the log the entire night and part of the morning as some of the orcs had gotten it into their heads to….partake of the women of her clan. She had heard the agonized screams and even a few grunts and moans as she heard what the orcs were doing to those she would find dead in the morning._

_It was only when the sounds of battle started again did Neria dare peek out of her hiding spot. She saw close to a hundred different people, mostly humans, sweep over the orc encampment that had taken root right where her former clan had rested just the night before. Not a single orc made it out of the killing zone. No amount of coaxing would have gotten Neria to go anywhere near the place, but thankfully she was spared such a thing as staring at so many dead in one place as the man she'd come to call her mentor and savior was directed towards her hiding spot by an elven archer companion of his. Neria had at the time tried to pull away from any attempt to get her to come out, but the old man had stayed and had simply talked, telling her a story of his own trials as a youth which had changed the course of his life to that which he did now._

_At the time Neria hadn't thought he had been talking about himself since the old warrior had purposely phrased his story to make it seem that he was talking about someone else, but his story had the desired effect to draw her out where she sobbed her heart out against the full platemail armor he had worn that day, her face buried against his chest for the better part of an hour. He didn't say a word; he only hugged her close and did his best to silently calm her down. Eventually she had passed out from exhaustion from staying up the entire night and didn't awaken until two days later. No one had bothered her save to clean the scratches and bruises she had accumulated from her ride down the side of the hill in the log she had been found in and dressed in clean clothes by another elven healer the group had with them at the time of the attack upon the orcs._

Neria shook her head and sighed heavily, knowing that she didn't have time to dwell on the past. Whether she was receiving visions from her god or not, the images intermixed with those of her nightmares were quite confusing to say the least. She doubted Giselle would know anything about them but she needed someone she could trust, and despite the good friends she had left behind at the temple of Sune she had been a part of for a time since a rather virulent disease had been present there which she had managed to cure everyone of before any of their rank died, Neria didn't trust them as she trusted Giselle. She needed the half Drow's wisdom in this matter, no one else would do.

Looking to the right at the edge of the clearing where everyone was buried, the burn marks where the orcs and their belongings had been set to the torch were still present. It was if the ground was cursed never to grow anything there again, and Neria was quite glad of that since the foul beasts didn't deserve to be renewed in the circle that was life. She'd have rather they have been burned further away from the clearing itself, but this was good enough at least. They weren't anywhere near her family and friends' remains and while again she'd have preferred they had been put into the forest they had crawled out of, Neria knew that she was lucky to have what she did here at all. Ever since that night, she had always had a deep hatred for the orcs and not even her mentor had been able to relieve her of that deep burning rage that boiled in her gut whenever she so much as smelled one.

With one last look at the clearing as she entered the edge of the tree line, Neria Zathriel let her gaze linger upon the three grave markers for a moment longer before wandering into the woods at last. She had a long road ahead of her, of course, every journey felt long until it was over, but somehow she had a deep seated suspicion that this would be her longest yet. Letting her mind wander of the signs and portents she had taken to be just that in her recent dreams, Neria still did her best to focus on the path before and around her, not wanting to be caught unawares like her clan had been so long ago.

_Metal spikes covered the ground, fifteen feet tall at full extension, were just as thick as any forest she had traversed. Bodies were impaled on all of them. As time flew by, the sun rising and setting in rapid succession, the bodies became….monstrous shadows of their former selves, glowing an eerie blue as metal became their new skin and their faces became dried up hollowed parodies of their former selves, becoming twisted in rage and who knew how much agony as well at being….changed. Not only that but dozens of light headed metal warriors carrying strange weapons, seeming to emit beams of light at incredible speeds, killed all that they touched before them. Every city across the Realms had similar attacks happening at the same time, and Neria knew this as her mind was forced across the land as dizzying speed, seeming to fly from one smoking ruin of a city to the next._

_Metal ships and metal men, wherever they went death and destruction followed, yet it wasn't them that terrified her the most. It was always the massive and biggest ship of them all that came out of the sky, lancing the ground with red burning energy wherever one of its squid like legs pointed, that the most terrifying of demons she had ever seen that gripped her heart in ice and didn't let go that was the most horrifying to look upon. All the death and destruction that followed, she knew without a doubt, originated from this very indestructible god of destruction. She was nothing before it as it aimed one of its legs at her, seeming to pinpoint her out of all of the running masses to doom her and only her to destruction eternal. The red light would find her….._

And Neria would wake up screaming. Not even the nightmares of her own people being raped and slaughtered had ever held her in such mindless terror. Perhaps in the early days, even a few years into her recovery she remembered a few cases when she had woke up in such a state that it took at least three different people to hold her down lest she hurt herself or someone else, but whatever that monstrous being was….it chilled her very soul to the core just to think about it in the light of day. There were other variations on that same dream, but it all ended the same way, with that thing pointing one if its tentacle like legs at her and blasting her into oblivion, leaving nothing behind save a scorch mark on the ground.

Whatever happened in the future, Neria didn't plan to take it lying down. Survivor's guilt or not, a half century grudge against orcs or not, going up against a foe that could lay waste to an entire planet in a matter of days or not, Neria was not going to take it lying down. She was like Giselle in that sense, but her motivations were different. Giselle protected life, Neria did her best to make sure it lasted as long as possible. She would always be a healer before being a warrior, while her dear friend would always be a warrior first and foremost. In the end, it would have to be enough.

**2178 CE. March 4****th**** – the 5****th**

**The Woods of Sharp Teeth, the Western Heartlands**

**SSV Hastings, med bay.**

**Debriefing….**

It had been a hell of a day. Her CO was not happy with the alien she had sent back to the Hastings, but at least the peace talks with the Lords of the City had gone well. The Captain of the Hastings was a good man, and did his best to explain things in a way that the locals would understand without sounding threatening at the same time, but Shepard proved the better diplomat since she had personal experience with these people already, several groups of them in fact, and if not for her help, the captain was sure that things wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly as they did. Even so, that still didn't change that she had made a mess of First Contact procedures, but despite the very out of place image of a Kodiak shuttle here in their medieval style city, the people seemed generally unaffected by the whole affair. Alexandria chalked it up to the fact they were used to the strange and unusual everyday anyway.

The captain had other ideas, mostly the fact that there was a confirmed Eclipse presence on the planet and that somehow these people had known about them all along. She doubted that very much and had said as much on their way to the Duke's Palace. "I highly doubt that everyone here is suspect. Look around; does it look like that they could hide something like this?" She waved her hand towards the simple stone and wood buildings around them, seeing no hint of anything close to modern tech anywhere here and the captain had to admit it was unlikely, but he still had a ready argument all the same, not about to let this drop on a whim or a hunch on the word of one woman, one woman who had done quite a bit in the last 24 hours which unfortunately included losing two of her own on her first mission as commander.

"They did for forty years if your intel was anything to be believed. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt since even we missed the presence of these confounded Eclipse when we did a scan of the planet's surface. Besides, I'm always paranoid, or as I like to say, always alert and ready for a trap to spring. Why do you think I'm still alive?" Alexandria had no ready answer for that since it was probably a good if unhealthy state of mind to think everyone was out to get you, but at least when someone actually tried you were ready for the attack. Alexandria didn't like being on such high alert all the time herself and hoped she didn't end up like her current CO, always on edge and potentially seeing enemies where there were none.

Still, the rest of their conversation would have to wait, their young charge asleep in Shepard's arms, the last 24 hours for her having been quite exhausting. The young girl had been through a lot and she deserved some rest. It was a little weird for Shepard to be carrying a child of any size but apparently even the excitement of returning home wasn't enough to keep her eyes from closing as sleep took her. For Alexandria, she rather enjoyed the feeling oddly enough as she hefted the precious bundle up a little higher up against her chest and looked to her CO who just offered a small smile. "Despite my misgivings about this whole fiasco, you truly did a good job here Shepard. And you honestly look more mature than your age and appearance would otherwise say, especially holding the kid."

Shepard couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed by her CO's praise but she wasn't surprised when the stern visage came back again since she was still up a shit's creek with no paddle. Still, the verbal blow was softened and it was clear the man in charge of the Hastings wasn't really feeling the anger he was trying to project. In all honesty he was quite proud to have her aboard his crew, even if she had sent back an alien to be taken care of by their chief medical officer.

That aside, the peace talks went well, the little girl was returned to her family who were happy to see the safe if tired return of their daughter, and Shepard was praised as a hero. The gold coins she wouldn't be able to use anywhere except here unless she was able to find a bank that could exchange them for credits, but otherwise other than the fact the bards would be singing her praises, there was one other small matter that drew her attention as she saw the Harper agent beckoning to her from a secluded spot on the second floor of the main hall. "I'll be right back." was all the explanation she gave her CO who looked a bit puzzled until he saw where her gaze had fallen and only nodded, having heard of the man that had sent her into the Guild Hall to begin with, for good reason it seemed now.

He didn't have to say to be careful as Alexandria patted her left hip as if reading her CO's thoughts, making sure her pistol was still handy since it would be the easiest to draw in a pinch. The Harper agent was as hard as ever to identify, but at least he had gained her trust since she didn't seem nearly as hostile as before. "Greetings Alexandria Shepard, I am glad you made it out of there in one piece. I have to ask however, what happened to my daughter?" That got Shepard's attention as the man pulled back his hood and reached behind his head, pulling a simple brown leather strap away from his face. The moment the plain white mask was removed even the slightest, Alex was greeted by a pair of purple eyes set in a black onyx face that seemed eerily similar to Giselle's own, save of course his was more masculine and slightly wrinkled as well, giving the impression that he was far older than anyone she had ran into so far.

Drizzt noted the slight surprise but she didn't back away or make any move to harm him. He hadn't sent Giselle there, but he knew the Harper that had and had intercepted the fellow before he could make his entrance here….after getting the details of the mission he had sent his daughter upon. The very mention of his name opened many doors since he was a hero for the ages, and always would be; especially now since it seemed his bloodline in the form of his daughter and twin sons were continuing the good work he had done when he was far younger. Still, that aside, Drizzt smiled and offered his hand to the human who shook it firmly, denoting strength beyond the physical scope which he picked up on immediately. He nodded his approval as he let the young woman's hand go before folding his own behind his back, seeming perfectly at ease.

"Your daughter is safe, of that I can assure you. I must ask but the mask, why use it at all?" Alexandria had a valid reason to ask and Drizzt smiled warmly as he indicated they should walk for a time together as he explained his side of things. Alexandria noted several things about this man who had most likely seen kingdoms rise and fall over who knew how long this warrior had lived. The hand he had offered was covered in calluses just as thick if not thicker than Giselle's own, but it was the strength behind it that had set Alexandria at ease as well as the very way he walked which told much about him. In the short time she had seen Giselle move through the Guild Hall, she had come to realize that grace like hers wasn't learned just anywhere. No movement was ever wasted, no strike had ever been without precision or landing exactly where it was meant to land by her hand and nothing escaped her gaze. Drizzt was the epitome of all that she inspired to become while making her own way in life, and Shepard could see why.

"You have surely heard that the Drow are not to be trusted, and they are right which is unfortunate since if not for their truly wicked ways, they could accomplish so much more than even they dream possible. When I first came to the surface, I was aware of this, I knew just how truly evil they were, having been born in such darkness and raised within until I was forced to leave, but time after time I was turned away from every city, town, and village without exception. Even when I eventually DID find somewhere to call my own at the edge of the known world far to the north and east of here, I was forced to live alone in the wilderness of the icy wasteland that is Icewind Dale. Even so, I came to the realization that even though the surface dwellers feared and hated my kind, I would not let their prejudices control whom I would become. It helped that I found such strong and amazing friends shortly after I became a permanent fixture on the edge of civilization, where even among other rogues that had nowhere else to go, I was not accepted until much later." They had since reached a balcony that overlooked Baldur's Gate from the east. Alexandria had stayed silent the whole time. Such obvious wisdom and strength of character she would likely never meet again, so she did her best to listen and comprehend all this man had to tell her.

Drizzt appreciated his audience of one's silence and stared at the rising sun despite the fact it hurt his light sensitive eyes. Eventually he looked away but only to look upon the human woman that had helped his daughter through what she had down in that Guild Hall. "Even now such prejudices remain since my people have not changed for the better, and I don't expect them to do so. No, I understand better than anyone that Lolth's hold upon them will never lessen, even after this world has been burned away to be reborn anew at a far future date, but despite this, I still live the best I can and hope that my sons and daughter will do the same even after I'm gone. I don't know what divine providence, if any, brought you to her Shepard, but I can understand why she took to you so quickly. She would never trust just anyone on a first meeting. Marik, may the Nine Hells take him, made sure of that." A brief flash of anger appeared on the old warrior's face but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, giving Alexandria pause since before then, he seemed truly at peace with everything and everyone around him. His easy mannerisms and the way he carried himself denoted a joy in all that he did, yet she made no mistake in assuming that he could probably take her down in a blink of an eye if it was necessary.

"You're almost as bad at answering a straight question as your friend Jarlaxle was earlier." Drizzt chuckled and shook his head in amusement, having heard from his own contacts that Jarlaxle was about the city. Few things escaped Drizzt's notice, especially when it came to former enemies turned friends such as Jarlaxle had become despite their differences. "Still, I doubt I can take her with me even though I'm not as xenophobic as it seems your own kind is Drizzt, but if I could I'd gladly have her watch my back."

"And that's why I feel I could trust you with my own since few people ever take to a Drow, half or otherwise, as quickly as you have already Alexandria. Even my closest friends had trouble accepting me for a while when we first met, but those are tales for another time Shepard. As for your question, I had heard that she was here and I had wanted to surprise her since I am more than welcome in most of the Western Heartlands even in these dark times, but I do not know for sure if your kinsman would appreciate another uninvited guest among his crew."

Alexandria would have made a case for his invitation but Drizzt held up his hand to silence her before she could begin. "All things come in time and despite how long it's been since I've spoken to her last, I would not have you get yourself into more trouble on my account. If you ever come back this way, be sure to stop by Mithral Hall if you can. I should let you be on your way since it seems that your kinsman is ready to depart. Good luck and should our paths cross again, know that you have my trust." With that Drizzt gracefully jumped off of the balcony, and landed on a nearby rooftop with a fluid grace of a panther after getting a small running start to help launch himself just far enough to reach his destination. Shepard watched him go until she couldn't see him any more and was still in a state of awe as she made her way back downstairs and to her CO. Maybe shore leave could wait?

* * *

Giselle groaned softly, feeling utterly drained as she slowly regained consciousness after the intense fighting she and Shepard had endured as they had made their way through the Guild Hall of the now dead Hands of Glory. She at first couldn't regain her senses, her head swimming, feeling as if she was in a heavy fog, but slowly she started to notice things around her. Voices for one, speaking over her, one of which was calm and she had to admit, soothing. The other was concerned, and if her ears didn't deceive her, almost as wore out as she felt currently. The repetitive noise, a beeping sound, was what made her aware that she wasn't in the Guild Hall anymore. She opened her eyes and immediately regretted it as bright light filled her vision, making her jerk away and put her right arm over her face.

"Do you really need to shine that in my face?!" She growled, her voice sounding quite raspy and dry, only then did she notice that she had something stuck to her arm. She didn't get a chance to look that second however as gentle hands pushed her down onto her back and the light's intensity was lowered, allowing the warrior to blink and adjust to what was around her. She immediately wished she was still passed out, preferably in the Purple Wyrm Inn as she saw nothing but metal walls around her. She sensed rather than saw that she was no longer in a place she knew. "Where in the Nine Hells am I?" There was worry in her voice now, but her brown eyes fell on an older woman's face as her vision finally started to clear up after being effectively blinded, her light sensitive eyes a genetic downfall because of the Drow blood she carried. Still, she looked into the woman's face and settled, feeling oddly enough calmed by the woman's presence.

Doctor Karin Chakwas was nearing the twilight era of her years, her hair already well on its way to being completely grey, yet her brown eyes told the half Drow she was going to be around for quite a while if she had anything to say about it. She had to put her age around her late 40s, early 50s at the oldest, but she wasn't about to ask and offend the doctor. "I must apologize for the light Ms. Do'Urden. It's common enough for us and I didn't know that you'd react as you did. I must admit you're the first of your kind I've ever seen, and I have seen quite a bit since I signed on to the Alliance Military after I finished medical school. Pardon this old woman's ramblings, let me sum up my attempt at an introduction and apology by simply saying it's an honor to meet you and you may call me Doctor Karin Chakwas. Are you in any discomfort Ms. Do'Urden?"

"Please, just call me Giselle, and no, thank you. Other than a bit of a dry throat and a headache from the light I'm fine." It was then that she noticed that Alexandria was by the door, the one she could see anyway, a look of utter relief stamped on her young face. "How long was I out Doctor Chakwas?" It felt weird saying the doctor's name, but at the same time it rolled off of Giselle's tongue easily enough, like a particularly tasty wine. She mentally shrugged and only then did she look at her right arm, seeing she was hooked up to some kind of bag full of liquid which in turn was hooked up to a machine which was locked onto a metal pole. She looked inquisitively at Chakwas, asking her silently what the deal was as the woman brought her a glass of water which she immediately sucked down a moment later, making her cough as she drank it down too fast, but it was worth it as her dry throat immediately felt a lot better once she had settled on the cool metal table she was on. She noticed that her gear was gone, stripped from her person but she didn't let it alarm her. She'd been without it before when she'd suffered injury as she had this time around, and while it made her feel vulnerable since she rarely went without her armor or swords at the very least, Giselle wasn't about to panic. Besides, she felt safe if a bit out of her depth…wherever it was she was currently resting at.

"At least a day and a half Giselle, according to our time anyway. I'm not sure how long that might translate to your home planet's day/night cycle unfortunately. As for what's hooked up into your arm and what is on your chest." It was then that she noticed the IV wasn't the only thing that was running from her to other machines around her, the Doctor herself checking on one of them while her fingers danced over a metal slab which gave off the occasional beep of its own. "The IV, or intravenous drip is to provide your body with a liquid form of nutrients as well as medicine should you become ill since we didn't know how long it'd take you to recover from the fight you and Commander Shepard endured, according to her report. The patches attached to your bare skin help to monitor your heart rate and O2 levels. To put it simply, if your sats suddenly dropped, it'd give us some warning before you were too far gone to save. Other than the cuts on your arm and leg however, I had very little worry of it happening, but its standard procedure all the same, especially when dealing with an unknown life form such as you." While she didn't understand everything Chakwas told her, Giselle got the gist of it and nodded, relaxing as Shepard finally spoke up a moment later.

"It's good to see you up at least Giselle; I'll admit I was worried when you went down. Before you ask I got the girl home and with her help I was able to tell the Grand Duke of what happened as well as your own contact from the Harpers who happened to be in the main hall upon our arrival. Interesting fellow, tried to recruit me into his organization but I kindly refused since I already had my place here. He didn't seem offended in the least though, but he did promise that if we ever came back he would most likely have more jobs for us." Giselle was about to smile until she saw the look on Shepard's face and sighed heavily, having a feeling she knew what was coming. Her suspicions were proven correct as Alexandria asked Doctor Chakwas to leave for a few minutes before she pulled up a chair to her bedside, her crystal blue eyes grave, wanting answers for what had happened down in the guild hall. "Can you tell me what happened between you and him, Giselle? Why you insisted on making sure every single one of those assassins was dealt with?" Giselle stared into Shepard's face and couldn't look away, and nodded silently as she forced herself to sit up, grimacing slightly as her left arm flared up then to remind her of what that bastard had done to her this time, only to notice then as she looked down at her body that she was covered only in a heavy blanket. She looked to Shepard who blushed after realizing the same thing but Giselle just shrugged and made it a point to not let the blanket slip down further than it had already, pulling it back up so it protected the marine's modesty if not her own.

"Only because you saved my life most likely do I tell you this Alexandria. I don't divulge personal matters easily, especially this particular tale since what you heard was the truth, if you were able to hear anything beyond the sound of your own weapon anyway. Keep that in mind Shepard, that's all I ask." Giselle couldn't help the slight pleading tone her voice contained and Shepard could only nod, unsure if she'd be able to keep the dark skinned woman's secret since she was in a fair bit of trouble for losing the two men that had followed her. While she had done all she could with what she had, it didn't look good on her record to have lost two Alliance soldiers on her first mission as a Commander. Her commanding officer might want to know what their new….ally was the best word for her, had to say in terms of answering whatever questions would most likely come up down the road.

It hurt to admit it but only if she was asked directly would Alexandria be forced to tell given her current predicament. Giselle didn't notice the facial expression that passed over the human's face as she considered where to begin, and decided to just go for broke as she looked up at the darkened lights above, shivering slightly as she brought the memory to the surface. "Thirty years ago this story begins, I was younger, far more naive, and thought I knew everything like most young adults my age, and thus I didn't need to listen to my father who I'd learn later had been right all along. However, I knew nothing, I realize now, about how the world truly worked…."

_She had run away from home. She had grown tired of the cramped mineshafts and caverns that were the whole of the dwarven complex which was situated in the Spine of the World mountain range, far on the northwestern border of the civilized lands. Everything to the south and east, even some of the islands in the sea, had to be better than the mines she had called home since before she had been old enough to think and reason for herself. Her older twin brothers by only a year, David and Seth, hadn't made life any easier for the younger Drow/light elf woman. In the one hand, David had been driving her nuts because he was the practical jokester of the two and the words 'personal space' had no meaning for him, and Seth because he was on his way to Silverymoon to study and finish his education in the arcane arts. He was allowed to leave while she was stuck at home, training under her father to become an accomplished ranger and an experienced wielder of a blade of her choice._

_She had chosen the double scimitar style, or rather it had chosen her since nothing else had felt right to her hands. While it was what she wanted, while she did get to leave the communal and ancestral home of the Battlehammer Clan whenever they went out to scout and explore the lands around the mountains, they rarely went a week's walk away from the mountains before they would turn back. She had felt like a caged bird, let out of her gilded prison only to have a leash wrapped around her feet to prevent her from flying too far and becoming lost. Eventually she had had enough and disappeared into the night._

_Only her father himself could have hoped to follow her, but no pursuit ever came which at first troubled Giselle as she kept her ear to the ground for rumor of search parties looking for her, but eventually she figured out that her father had let her leave so that she might discover for herself that which she sought the most. Even then she was far wiser than her years let on, having learned from the best teacher she could have ever hoped for, and he often said that she had inherited her mother's quick mind that was better suited to solving puzzles and riddles that he had trouble with. Thinking about her as she rested in a farmer's home on her way to Luskan, quite a trip for anyone on foot from the Spine of the World mountains, made the young woman's brown eyes mist over since she had never known her mother, the woman in question having died giving birth to Giselle._

_All she had was her father's fond stories about her, the good and the bad, with the Spellplague serving as a backdrop to their meeting as they had. She sighed heavily and looked up to the wooden and thatch roof that served to keep out the snow and the rain, the smell in the air telling the young ranger that spring was soon coming again. That and the other signs of such favorable weather on the horizon were easy to see for an experienced wanderer of the woods and the wild places of the world as she had proven already to be, having taken care of a small band of orcs on her way to the farm before they had any idea she was among them. They had planned to raid and slaughter the family, keeping the strongest of them as slaves if she had had to guess about their intentions. She hadn't waited to ask before she had fallen upon them like a scythe through a wheat field._

_That had gained the family's uneasy trust, but trust all the same, and so she had been offered a small cot by the fireplace, the only stone constructed part of the house she had seen. It was good stone, sturdy and strong and would probably outlast the rest of the house should a tornado blow by. She chuckled since she was thinking along the lines of a dwarf and felt a pang of homesickness for such a simple thought, and was tempted to turn back then and there, but she swallowed that feeling and locked it up tight, determined to see her own adventure through, somehow. She'd never been out like this on her own before save for when she was told as part of a lesson to hunt and learn from personal experience. She never knew half the time if her father was close at hand or not, his skill at sneaking about far greater than her own, but she eventually caught on to his tricks and was able to tell when he was about and when he was not during such 'solo' lessons._

_Again she had to fight back the feeling of missing her home and rolled over towards the fireplace, finding little comfort due to where her mind had wandered. How long she had lain like that before she finally did fall asleep Giselle never knew, but the next morning saw the snow start to melt and the going easier when she left that same day. It had taken her three weeks on foot to reach the City of Sails, but it was worth the lonely nights camping with only the stars overhead to guide her steps. Faerûn was a beautiful land, full of life and bounty as well as danger sure, but she wouldn't have had it any other way. It would be here that she'd meet Marik for the first time. It was also where Giselle first saw how terrible the damage the Spellplague had wrought since it began three years before she had been born truly was._

_The once almost living Host Tower of the Arcane, where the mages of the Arcane Brotherhood once ruled the city from a tower that was as much made of stone as well as a living oak, fused and created by magic spells long forgotten, resided and caused their own brand of trouble during Luskan's final days as an actual city and less a refuge camp as it was now. The tower was in ruins, the Spellplague that had swept the land, having consumed the edifice in azure flame that had reacted badly to the countless enchantments and magical items in the tower's walls, causing it to explode violently. Nothing but a crater remained where the Host Tower once stood, the damage having spread beyond the island it had rested upon. Then there was the Great Fire that had ravaged most of what had been untouched in Luskan a fair bit of time later, destroying whole sections of the once beautiful City of Sails. Despite what it had become and what it would remain as for years to come, Giselle was simply passing through, needing to stock up on supplies after her three week journey since leaving Mithral Hall. She'd end up taking someone along for the rest of her trip to Baldur's Gate as she went into one of the few buildings that hadn't been destroyed, the Red Dragon Trading Post._

_The stone reinforced building's interior looked just as beat up as the rest of the city, more than one fight having broken out given the mass shortages caused by the pirate raids on merchant ships, as well as attacks by roving bands of monsters on the land routes. Nowhere was truly safe anymore, or so the stories said. Whatever the reason, Giselle still got strange looks given her black skin, and she sighed heavily since she had a feeling she'd be cheated out of her gold just because of what she looked like. "Just get it out of your system and have done with it." She growled aloud, but no one said a word, the entire main hall growing quiet as she walked up to the front desk and immediately heard something that piqued her interest as she turned her gaze to the right._

"_I might be a mage but the Spellplague has yet to strike me down. I'm no fool, I know arcane magic draws the flames, and I haven't practiced a spell in that area since this mess started." A young man, 20 tops, spoke to a representative of the trading post who didn't look happy to be bothered by such a young fool as this. Mages were feared these days given the fact that most that practiced the arcane arts ended up dead, driven into insanity, changed into a hideous creature, or they just disappeared if the azure flames that the Spellplague brought struck them down. He didn't want to risk the chance the caravan he wanted to sign onto would end up in a similar mess although as far as anyone knew, you only had to worry if there were a lot of mages or magical items in one spot for the Spellplague to gain an area of effect on any ground. Still, the man didn't want to risk it and flatly refused the offer of guarding the caravan to Baldur's Gate for free. Giselle watched as the young mage stomped away, but before he could leave she put a hand to his shoulder. The man turned and met Giselle's brown eyes with his unusually colored yellow orbs, and stopped cold as he saw what she was. Giselle flinched away and turned her gaze elsewhere, expecting the usual verbal assault her dark skin color brought. It never came. "I'm sorry, I had just not expected to see a dark elf here of all places, yet you are not as they are, I can see that for myself already. Please, face me and let us talk civilly for a time."_

_To say that Giselle was surprised was an understatement as the man behind the counter just waved his hand in frustration and turned to the next in line. The half Drow got out of the way and soon stood by the young mage's side. He was….handsome, for a human. Short curly brown hair, a slender frame, and even then she sensed a deep well of power, mostly untapped, in this young mage's frame. He intrigued her, to say the least. "My name is Giselle Do'Urden, and it is indeed a change of pace from the usual racial slurs I've come to expect anytime I come near a settlement such as this. What might be your name?" They shook hands and Marik, as she learned, kissed the back of hers in a show of gentleman behavior, making the warrior's cheeks turn a shade darker than what they were already. He just chuckled and released her hand after taking note of how soft yet warm it was despite the layer of calluses he also felt, most likely from the swords she even then carried on her slender hips. Things from there on were far more interesting despite the trouble she'd find almost a year later. Their reasons for going to Baldur's Gate were different, she because she wanted to see the city for the first time, to learn of its rich and abundant history, among other things, and he because he called it home. He was returning there after a long business trip that had taken him as far as Ten-Towns, far to the north and west, beyond the Spine of the World Mountains. He didn't go into details and she didn't pry, and by the time she'd think about it again, she would have found out about his real employers and it'd be over between them._

_She learned early on that Marik with his high cheek bones and almost regal appearance, especially when he was dressed in his embroidered robes of blue and gold, had a perchance for negotiating and charm, skills that she didn't possess quite as much as he. Things that would have been a huge sum of money for her, partly because she was a dark elf in appearance only and thus the racial hatred her kind elicited factored into the haggling process, and partly because she just had no real skill at it anyway, those same prices usually dropped to a fourth, sometimes even half their original value, especially if a woman was manning the counter of whatever shop they went to. Giselle would just chuckle and smile, watching the show for what it was, and thanked whatever gods still lived for throwing the man her way since that same charm always came back to her in spades. Young, stupid, and in love was never a good combination for people like her and Marik, both of them in their early twenties, and both of them eventually wound up in the same bed. It started as simple kisses, chaste, pure, but eventually as the days rolled by, it got more intense between them until eventually, one night in late fall, she decided to go all the way. Marik surprised her however and at first turned down her advances, showing a maturity rare for someone his age, and in a way it touched Giselle's heart that he didn't want to rush things._

_Still, a little wine and a hearty meal can go a long way, especially when it was a romantic dinner at the Purple Wyrm Inn, surrounded by good company and soft music in the background thanks to a traveling bard company that had stopped in town that same night. They splurged for the most elegant room they could afford, and it was there, among scented candles, a four poster Calimshan silk sheet covered canopy bed, and a rose petal filled bath for later on did Giselle lose her virginity. Marik was surprisingly gentle and took his time in the most ancient dance there was, leaving nothing untouched as he explored her every curve and scar that she bore even then. While not nearly as numerous back then, Giselle had seen her fair share of battle by her 20__th__ year, yet he cared not and only seemed to love her all the more, having kissed every single one of them before he stopped between her thighs. His mouth devoured her sex, his tongue slow yet diving deep into her for several long minutes, and Giselle cried out as her first of many climaxes to come consumed her._

_It was glorious, her every nerve sang in bliss, and her breathing, usually so calm and controlled, was ragged and hard to attain. She loved every second of it, and loved it more as he gently tied a blind fold around her brown eyes, making every following sensation that much more potent as the night went on. Every need she had ever entertained for her first time was answered, every fantasy lived out as Marik stripped away her resistance one powerful orgasm at a time, and by the time he did enter her, Giselle was a bundle of oversensitive nerves, pleasantly stroked, caressed, licked, and brought to sensory overload. So when he broke through her final barrier, she felt little pain and embraced him tightly as they rolled about the bed, one second she on top, the next he was, his lips on her sensitive neck, her own on his ears and on his lips where their tongues dueled for dominance without ever losing the gentle pace they set for each other. She cried out his name as he drove deep inside her core, feeling his every inch as she squeezed and rocked her hips around him, the smell of their union only adding to her ultimate pleasure as it did for Marik. When it was over, they went over that cliff together as liquid warmth filled her sex as he emptied himself inside her body, making Giselle scream in ecstasy. They lied like that, staring deep into the other's eyes until sleep started to overcome them both, and Giselle knew true peace at last as they pulled apart only for Giselle to rest her head on Marik's chest, his own arms wrapped around her body in turn. It was not meant to last, as such whirlwind romances seldom do._

_It was a month later when a carrier pigeon alighted on the window of their shared home, Giselle having officially moved in long before, and Marik wasn't at the house at the time, tending to some affair for a friend. Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled the letter off of the little bird's leg that looked up at her inquisitively but simply flew off back to its roost. What she found was quite alarming._

_**Dear M.**_

_** Your shipment is in. The magic enhancing drug is in its usual drop off point, but in return we need you to kill the delegation from Neverwinter who has not paid his protection fee for the better part of this year, having gone through other channels. He did not listen to our counter offer, nor did 'other negotiation tactics' work as they normally do. The Zhentarim will reward you and your dark elf woman well, as I am sure you know by now. Failure to comply with this task will result in the immediate withdrawal of your drug and other, more permanent solutions might need to be taken. Do not make the same mistake as the Neverwinter ambassador is currently making.**_

_**Signed by. Lord V**_

_She couldn't believe it. How could she have been so blind? At first she suspected it had to be a mistake and simply left the letter where he could find it since she had seen similar letters before but had not thought anything about it at the time. Carrier pigeons, while expensive, weren't all that uncommon, especially between military and mercenary bands. A mage was respected and feared in the same breath and thus they held power of their own, even during the troubled times the Spellplague brought with it. Even so, Giselle carried on as if nothing had come and greeted Marik warmly who in turn did the same, suspecting nothing had changed. It was a week later that everything finally came apart and what they had built together came undone at the seams._

_She wasn't in time to stop the assassination entirely, rain coming down lightly upon the crowd as the man got ready to give a speech or other, surrounded by a half dozen guards, but she was in time to save the ambassador's life as she ran through the gathered crowd and pushed the man down as a fireball slammed into the wooden podium that he'd been standing on a moment before. Besides some cuts, bruises, and a couple of burns from the close proximity of the blast, both of them were alright. Giselle rolled to her feet and looked up to where the attack had come from, and saw Marik, his own eyes wide at what had just happened. The Neverwinter man's guards weren't as lucky as they burned, most of them dead before they had hit the floor, but one screamed his last as his flesh gave way to the flames. It was then she finally saw his 'stage mask' fall away and the real person underneath came to the surface. "So, you figured it out I see." He called down from the rooftop he had positioned himself on, having the tactical advantage, but only for the moment as Giselle clenched her fists tightly and glared up at her former lover before she ran into an alley, and then quickly ran up the wall before nimbly pulling herself up and over the edge and onto the roof. Only a well trained rogue could have managed such a feat. "Harper bitch thinks to stop me? I think not." The man growled, his yellow eyes full of madness and hate, something she had never seen before in his gaze, not even a hint of it. It was like staring at a whole other person, and it scared her more than a little as a stray breeze made her silver gray hair flutter out over her right shoulder._

"_Just tell me why Marik! Why ally yourself with the Zhentarim! What could they possibly give you that you don't already have?! Would you throw me away for some fucking drug that enhances your power?! For money?! Tell me why Marik!" Giselle demanded, having not pulled her swords yet, too upset to think clearly about what was going on then, and thus it left her vulnerable to an attack by the one she had once loved. It came as a blast of lightning, slamming into her stomach and putting her on her ass on the other rooftop where she lay, stunned and disoriented, groaning in pain as the energy filtered through her. Drow blood or not, magical resistance or not, that hurt and it took her a few minutes to stand after that attack, long enough for Marik to have found his way over to her. He bodily lifted her by the front of her chainmail shirt and forced her to look him in the eye as he brought her to his level. She stared back, her initial shock wearing off only to be replaced by a deep burning anger at being duped for so long. It was the first time he had seen her so angry and he had to break their dead lock stare first which annoyed him to no end, but he spoke all the same._

"_Let me tell you a little story then since you're so eager to hear it. Once upon a time there was a young boy, no older than seven years old, who wound up in the 'care' of a dark mage. Kidnapped from his home since his parents didn't want to be rewarded for harboring such a talented young mage away from his true calling, the dark mage burned down the boy's home and took him that same day. It was where I learned how to harness arcane might Giselle, and it was also where I got my first taste for the drug the Zhentarim provides for me. At the time I didn't want it, but my 'master' forced it upon me, wanting to see what it would do first before he started to take it. The effects were almost immediate as my power almost doubled. There was a problem however. Without it, I would die, a fact I learned when my master missed a single dose a couple of years later. He imploded in on himself, leaving me to fend for myself. It's thanks to the Zhentarim that I still live today. For my efforts, I do their dirty work, and they reward me with money and my drug I need to survive. Does that answer your question, Drow bitch?!" He tossed Giselle away from himself before he fell upon her, crouching heavily on her chest before his hands wrapped around her neck in a vice like grip. It became impossible to breath, and his berserker like strength was astounding as he crushed her windpipe between his hands. Whether by luck or by divine providence, Giselle found a loose bit of tile, yanked it free, and smashed it over Marik's head, shaking him loose before she turned and drew in much needed air in ragged breaths and coughs._

_She recovered first, just barely as Marik cleared his head of the stars he'd been seeing, the rain at that time coming down harder than ever as she bull rushed him to the ground, both of them falling off of the house's roof they'd been on a moment before. She screamed as several bones in her body cracked if not outright broke, but she had landed on Marik, and so he wound up worse off between them. She remained conscious however, while her former lover fell into darkness brought on by his injuries. Standing on shaky legs, Giselle looked down and felt the tears wanting to fall, and she didn't fight them as she hobbled away, never looking back to see if he lived or not. Her heart was torn apart, a wound no healer could hope to touch no matter their skill. It'd take some time, but eventually she put it behind her and moved on, a habit that would last for quite a long time to come._

Giselle looked up, having at some point started to stare at the cold metal floor as she told Shepard all of her tale. Alexandria was struck silent, as was the listening Doctor Chakwas who had been standing by the door to her current infirmary since this was just a temporary posting, same as Shepard's. Curiosity had gotten the better of her and she had heard all but the very beginning of the warrior's tale. It was Shepard that broke the tense silence that had fallen, her voice startling Giselle out of her memories that she had dragged up to the surface after burying them for so long. "Despite the heartbreak you had to endure, that was the best story I've ever heard Giselle. Be it as it may, it answers a lot of questions I had about your behavior in the guild hall, and because of your tale I trust you all the more. You're human just like the rest of us, making the same mistakes anyone, hell even me, might have made. You loved, you were hurt, and you survived to live a better life because of it. Be thankful for that everyday Giselle; don't let this business with Marik make you something you're not."

"I couldn't have said it better Commander Shepard." Both turned, and Giselle was somehow not surprised to find the good doctor had heard the story given the hastily dried tears that were left around the older woman's eyes. "A lot of people could benefit from such a story Ms. Do'Urden since you've obviously experienced much and yet here you are, stronger than ever because of it. In any event, it's been a good three hours since you began, how are you feeling?" Giselle had had no idea so much time had passed, having no real way to determine the passage of thus in the darkened room, but she shrugged and said she was feeling better. And in truth she was. She felt lighter; the telling of her tale having lifted a weight from her heart she had forgotten was there since she had carried it for so long. She figured that Doctor Chakwas was referring more to her physical well being, but that too was in better shape as well, her exhaustion have passed to some degree. She'd still sleep well tonight regardless. The doctor did a quick check and took some more notes on what the half Drow would learn was called a data pad before asking her to hold her right arm out. "You look well enough to move about on your own. Besides a quick exam and some blood work, you are free to go about the ship if what I heard from the captain is true. Just be warned that getting in the way if there's an emergency could be dangerous for everyone."

Giselle nodded and let Chakwas do what she had to do, but something was nagging at the back of her mind as she did. She minutely winced when she took the blood sample from her left arm so as not to disturb the IV more than she had to, but that aside the half Drow could only try to process everything she'd been through in the last 24 hours. She'd met with a woman that was definitely a stranger from if not the stars in the sky, then at least a very far away land, had had help in defeating and rescuing a young woman from the Hands of Glory assassins, had finally dealt with her ex Marik, and was now in a strange….ship of some sort talking with an older woman while she fussed about her strange machines and tools. Still, that wasn't what was really bugging her. If she'd been out of it for a day and a half, were they even still in Baldur's Gate, or had Shepard's commanding officer taken them elsewhere?

As if reading her mind as Giselle winced noticeably as the IV was removed and a small piece of a white sterile bandage was secured over the puncture mark by the good doctor, Shepard smiled briefly and pointed to the warrior's belongings, or rather the foot locker where they were stored within for the moment. "We're still on your home world Giselle before you ask. Repairs are still being completed but they should be done soon enough. Despite the trouble I'm in even with evidence suggesting there was little chance of success against the hostile locals we ran into going to Baldur's Gate, as long as you don't touch anything you can wander about the ship, under guard since you did help us uncover Eclipse mercs."

"Do you still want my help Shepard?" Giselle asked, letting the sheet drop as she went to the locker that was by the door to the storage room in the back of the med bay. Alexandria looked away just as Giselle started to stand, and heard the sound of the foot locker being opened and its contents being pulled out and put back on as the warrior dressed in her old gear once more. It took her only a few minutes and before Alexandria knew it, she was once again staring at the strong warrior woman she had met on the way through the asssassins' secret base. Earlier she had looked quite helpless even with the numerous scars that decorated her from the neck down on both sides of her body to say otherwise, but at least now she looked like her old self.

"I guess it depends on what we find as far as my CO is concerned, but I'd accept the help since you know a lot more about this world than we do. To quote him though, he's 'ever alert and thus always ready for a trap to be sprung' on him, in my own opinion he's just plain paranoid." Giselle nodded as she sat on the bed again for a moment to adjust her boots without ever breaking their conversation's flow.

"So basically I have to earn my place with the crew, if that's even an option with this guy you speak of." Alexandria shrugged but nodded as she stood from her chair, heading for the door with Giselle right behind her, but not before the human noticed that Giselle suddenly wasn't there. She turned and saw that her new friend, at least she hoped Giselle considered her a friend anyway, had stopped to speak to Dr. Chakwas again. "Thank you for looking after me as you did."

"It was my pleasure Giselle. You be careful though, and don't let Shepard get you into any trouble." Giselle laughed and smiled, making Alexandria shake her head in amusement as the two women left the med bay. Despite how weird today had gone, Dr. Chakwas had rather enjoyed the company and the chance to learn more about life beyond what even they had thought possible. Looking over her scans again however made Chakwas wonder, and not for the first time, why on Earth Giselle's nervous system looked similar to a biotic's own, especially since as far as her scans had been concerned, there wasn't a trace of element zero, or eezo, in Giselle's system. Curious….quite curious indeed.

_A/N. I do apologize for the very late update to this story everyone. I had and have a lot of RL stuff that came up and is still going on. Beyond that however I am ok, but things got pretty crazy there for a while and it might not quite be ok yet, but I am going to start updating and adding more to this story in the days to come. Expect more chapters like this in the future, but I'll likely head to Dragonspear Castle next and reveal more on the Eclipse and Zhentarim mercenaries that have made themselves quite at home in the region. Enjoy!_


	7. Ch 6 Dragons, Assassins, and Biotic Gods

_A/N Let me just say that all of your continued support and reviews, both positive and negative alike, are greatly appreciated and it is what keeps me going on this epic journey that I hope to actually improve upon as things progress. I realize my last chapter seems a bit rushed, and that's because it was due to my major procrastination up until now. Eventually I kicked myself in the butt and forced myself to get it going again, so I did some cutting out of another chapter I had previously written, pasted it into the one I had going, and tried to make it fit as best as possible before finally getting tired of seeing no new progress made and posted it up without going through it better. For that, I apologize since you all deserve better for being as patient as you have been so far already. So, this next chapter will hopefully see a return to my true ability once again._

_A/N Addition; I introduced Drizzt briefly my last chapter. I thought it fitting then that if he can make an appearance, then so can Drizzt's most famous and ruthless enemy, Artemis Entreri, also known as Barrabus the Grey. I haven't finished the Neverwinter series of books where he is tied to the Netherese Lord, Herzgo Alegni, so this will need to be AU from what is canon. If you have a problem, you can kiss my quad. :P_

_A/N Addendum; You have Inkess, a loyal follower to this story thus far, for what's coming. She gave me quite a wonderful idea for a new OC villian, now I just need to get his character set up right and then the war against the Realms shall begin! Well….at least until I figure out what to do with him anyway lol. _

* * *

**Chapter 6; Dragons, Assassins, and Biotic Gods**

**1435 DR**

**Dragonspear Castle, northeast of the Trollbark Forest. Western Heartlands**

**Aboveground former ruins of Dragonspear Castle**

**Defense contract….for the moment.**

He might have owed Drizzt Do'Urden, Jarlaxle, and a few other people a debt of gratitude for slaying Herzgo Alegni and thus freeing him from the damnable magic that he had placed upon the sword that rested on the assassin's right hip even then, but that didn't mean he couldn't still hate the Drow warrior and all that he stood for. That hatred had long since turned into an obsession perhaps which had been tempered some years and dulled others, but it always came back as long as he heard that the Drow ranger, rogue, and the finest swordsman in the Realms still lived, and now even had children of his own. They were told to be just as dangerous in their respective fields as the man himself and the formerly human assassin known as Artemis Entreri, now known as Barrabus the Grey because of a Shade he had killed with his beautifully jeweled vampiric dagger he kept on his left hip, knew that with his new employers, that eventually they would come to Dragonspear Castle where he now resided, working as a bodyguard for the dark Zhentarim mercenaries and their Black Network of allies.

It was more than that however since forty years ago, one of the most outlandish things that had ever happened to the legendary assassin occurred on this very pit of ground where the ruins of the castle still stood. An alien craft had crash landed behind the castle grounds, a deep trench that was still there even now being left behind as the ship ran aground and stopped almost a mile off before finally coming to a full stop. Barrabus had been on his way to Calimshan, but he had not been in any particular hurry so he had kept his travels as long as possible, stopping by wherever he deemed he'd go along the way and let any fool try to stop him or tell him otherwise. That had been a very unusual first meeting as a blue skinned humanoid stumbled out of the craft's side, a door appearing where he had at first not seen one a moment ago, and coughed up an equally strange shade of blood onto the grass before her, seeing that the stranger was definitely female the closer he got, his curiosity getting the better of him. Just thinking about it as he made his way through the castle grounds and to the single above ground passageway that led deeper into the fortress's dungeons, made Barrabus's mind wander…

_Auora couldn't believe her luck. Batarian bastards! Her frigate was fried but at least she and her two dozen crew, mostly Asari like her, were alive. They had a Salarain tech expert working to get some of their systems back online, and from what he had seen before they had been forced to make an emergency landing, their enemies weren't following which was a good thing. She and the rest of her team were more or less ok but she had a gash in her right side, just hitting her lung which had forced her out of the stifling heat of the ship which still had fires that were being put out one by one, hopefully before their core went up and atomized them all. She was hurting but she was still alive, her application of medi-gel helping with some of the damage done. She coughed and fell to her hands and knees on soft grass before her, pain lancing through her body with each blood filled cough that came out of her mouth. She felt the pain dulling though, which helped as bone and sinew started to knit together thanks to the healing properties of the medi-gel she had used first chance she got, but she'd still need several days if not longer to rest and recover. It was only when her vision cleared that she saw the human approaching them._

_Auora as Barrabus would learn, was named after the first of her species to ever walk on land, so it was fitting that she would be the first to walk on Toril's surface. The assassin had noted the strange yellow armor she wore but didn't seem unaffected by the very absurd metal ship that she was standing before, clutching at her wounded right side. The unusually skinned woman and her equally strange colored blood didn't seem to faze the man much at all, which made the Asari wonder if he had seen similar things before. In truth, Barrabus had not, at least not from beyond the stars, but his pale ghost like face didn't reveal even a flicker of uncertainty as he continued to approach. Something about him unnerved Auora, sensing a cold and confident aura around the man that screamed that he was truly a danger to her well being in ways the Batarians that had been chasing them would be sorely pressed to match. She had every reason to fear since he was no friend to anyone save for himself._

_He wore no armor that could hope to protect him against their weapons, but even so, Auora was afraid that her still functioning pistol wouldn't be enough to stop him. Her biotics might though but she didn't attack him yet since the man had not made an open threat of any sort. "Who are you?" The assassin cocked his head to the side, curiosity clear on his pale face since he hadn't expected to be able to understand the woman. But he didn't give it much thought, not really caring as to why, only that he could._

"_Barrabus the Grey." Was all that he'd say as he finally stopped before the woman, considerably shorter than she but that still didn't make his presence any easier to bear since her very skin felt cold as ice near this man that scared the crap out of her. He was compact with wiry, strong muscles. His face is angular with high cheekbones and prominent sideburns. The man's hair was raven black, thick and full, and despite being clean shaven overall, to Auora's eyes he looked like he needed to shave again. His eyes….that's what it was that scared her the most if she ever had or rather, got a chance to explain it later. His eyes were void of any emotion, of any trace of what humans called a soul. They were grey just as his skin was and they didn't waver, didn't reduce the effect of his intense stare at all as Auora locked her own green orbs with his own despite her best effort to look elsewhere. She had seen a jeweled dagger on one hip and a wicked looking sword on the other, what looked like a human's ribcage for the hand guard but she couldn't make much else out, not without being able to break her deadlock stare with the assassin before her._

_He broke it first and Auora breathed a lot easier as he turned his gaze to her Salarian tech expert who had come out to tell his boss that they were going to need a lot longer to get their ship working again when he stopped too and his giant lizard like orbs met Barrabus's face. She was glad she wasn't the only one that found it hard to feel anything but cold dread from this human local. If his presence was this terrifying, just what was he capable of? The Salarian wasn't so easily cowed however and went for his pistol, a fatal mistake in Barrabus's presence as the man seemed to completely blur as he moved forward at an incredible speed, his jeweled dagger in his left hand as if it had always been there. Auora would never figure out how it happened even though she'd survive the next 40 years, but one minute the Salarian was standing tall, and then the next he had the assassin's dagger in his chest despite the light battle Eclipse armor he wore._

_That wasn't the worst part as red light started to flow out of her man's chest where the dagger had connected and flow into the human's hand and up his arm. The look on the Salarian's face was a silent scream as his very life was sucked out of his body. It only took a few seconds before there was nothing left to take and the assassin casually pulled his blade free, letting the alien fall at his feet without so much as a backward's glance. "I'd tell your men to not try that again, Auora." The asari could only stare; slack jawed at the death of the Salarian as Barrabus walked away from the scene. It wouldn't be the last time they'd meet…._

Auora's men had not pursued him, which was quite wise since he wouldn't have had any trouble taking them apart if they got in his way, but several years later he'd be called back to Dragonspear Castle since the Eclipse mercs he would learn, had decided they liked Toril quite a bit and had even made allies with the Zhentarim, his current employers. He hadn't been summoned until much later, when the Eclipse and the Zhentarim had become solid allies and brothers in arms. The Eclipse had brought considerable weapons tech and abilities that no one on Toril had ever seen, and the Zhentarim brought their own unique abilities to the mix, showing the outworlders magic and creatures that even they found hard to combat with their equipment and strange mass effecting 'magics' called biotics. Barrabus didn't care one way or the other, he only cared about the job, nothing more.

He really should give them more credit. The above ground ruins had since been fortified with their futuristic materials and weaponry, making it a formidable place for the forward operations base between the Eclipse and the Zhentarim. The Zhentarim's home cities, far to the northeast in the Moonsea region, had also been fortified against the legions of undead that had once plagued them after the Spellplague hit all of the Realms. Even before things had not been looking good since the Zhents had made allies with a dangerous enemy that another group had destroyed completely, and the Zhentarim had paid the price as well, nearly losing everything during that war. Now they were well on their way to rebuilding thanks to the Eclipse, and their alliance had been assured because of this. The best part was that few people even knew it was going on outside of the Zhentarim's ranks.

Barrabus didn't believe it would last however. Nothing like this ever did. He had lived long enough thanks to the Shade he had sucked dry with his dagger to know that nothing ever lasted. Kingdoms would rise and fall all the time regardless of where you happened to come from or who you happened to be. It was the way it worked, nothing more nothing less, but as long as it did, Barrabus would throw his skill in with the winning side, and with the recent retaking of the Citadel of the Ravens, the Zhents had plans to move on the rest of the Realms. It was only a matter of time…

* * *

Dragonspear Castle had been through wars with demons coming out of a Hell Portal underneath the former fortress that was told to have been home to a copper dragon before it was slain eons ago. The local lore was well known by the current residents on both sides of the galactic scale, but neither was about to delve too deep into the dungeons underneath to risk upsetting whatever seal was over the Gate that was still located deep within the bowels of the formerly glorious fortress. Both sides had ordered their minions to stay on the upper levels of the castle dungeons while construction up top was completed. Given its isolated location, the castle itself situated between the Trollbark Forest and the High Moors which proved a challenge to any stupid enough to try to pass through them, none of the main roads went anywhere near the grounds themselves, making it an excellent staging point for any future invasions.

The Eclipse didn't have the advantage as they thought against their local partners, and the Zhentarim knew it since they had a secret weapon on their side. They really had the Eclipse to thank for the man that was a loyal supporter to their cause, who just happened to have a biotic amp jacked into the back of his skull along with magical abilities. He was only 20 years old, and he had been exposed to eezo stolen right out from under the Eclipse's collective nose and they had no clue who had done the deed. Now, it was too late to do anything about it despite a few of their number trying to do just that. Their biotic mage, the term given to their powerhouse by one of their Lords, had decimated them with power that neither side had expected at all. Even a few of their Lords in the Zhentarim ranks had been nervous, and rightfully so as he batted aside everything the Eclipse traitors had thrown at him with an ease that made him appear as if he was possessed by one of their dark gods.

His father had been Marik, their former mage assassin that a certain half Drow bitch had eliminated quite recently. He had been trying to gain monetary support for their operations by demanding ransom from the leaders in Baldur's Gate, but that plan had gone up in smoke thanks to her and her new Alliance friends. She and the rest of the Western Heartlands would pay dearly for their actions, but they still needed to prepare. For one, their biotic mage was unstable. Two, after each display of his unique combination of magic and biotic might, he needed a few hours more than either to recuperate his lost energy lest his head burst into flames. He hadn't been the first one the Zhents had tried to combine their magical superiority with that of their allies' science. He had just been the successful one was all. The Eclipse did regular checks on their potentially dangerous ally to see if they could fine tune the amp to help with the side effects, but so far only minimal progress had been made. It would have to be enough.

The man himself was busy indulging himself with a few of their ill gotten gains. They worked for the highest bidder when not trying to fulfill their own goals along the way. Most of their devious work was offered by the Black Network, and they dealt in everything from slaves, illegal goods, and more, so it was only natural that their more favored members in the Zhentarim would be allowed some…perks. If the heated moans and cries of pleasure were anything to go by, Barrabus would have guessed that he was quite enjoying the perks of the job a little too much although he doubted the elven slaves he was currently engaged with would agree…if they had the wills to do so. Personally, the assassin would have been quite happy to slit the bastard's throat from ear to ear since he found the man rather repulsive, at least with Marik he could appreciate him since he had always treated Barrabus with a measure of respect, and Barrabus had returned the favor.

The Zhentarim's weapon of choice however treated everyone save for his dark overlords as if they were beneath him, but given his powers maybe he had a right to do so? He wasn't going to bother to talk to the impulsive young pup as Barrabus pushed the door open to one of the underground living quarters which like most of the castle grounds above and below, the stone walls had been replaced with sterile white metal materials or covered up entirely when replacing the old building materials wasn't possible. His gray eyes ignored the fact that the young pestilence was just finishing up with the second of the two light elven slaves, the first passed out on her back beside the two rutting animals. His gray lifeless eyes narrowed to dangerous slits since he knew the man saw the assassin but chose to ignore him until he was done.

One final triumphant cry was let loose from Marik's bastard of a son before he pushed the elven slave away, letting her collapse where she would as the young biotic mage flickered and pulled his black robes towards him before dressing as he climbed off the bed. Despite how much he hated the bastard, Barrabus couldn't deny that any woman would have found him hard to ignore since he could see some light elven blood mixed in with his human father's facial features. High cheekbones, a short almost flat nose, those same piercing yellow eyes Marik had once possessed, pointed ears on either side of his head, yet unlike Marik this fellow's hair was almost blindingly blonde, most likely from his mother's side. Not only that, but unlike Marik, the young mage had no real muscle to him since he didn't believe in training with a weapon of any sort just like most mages, believing his magic and biotic power would see him through any situation. Again maybe he had a good reason to believe so, but Barrabus still thought him a fool and an arrogant one at that.

"Ah Barrabus, I didn't see you." Barrabus didn't blink, didn't say a word as the pestilent young man chuckled as he grabbed his discarded black pants off the ground and pulled them on a moment later. "I take it you were called down here to retrieve me. Ever the faithful dog, aren't you?"

"I'd watch that tongue of yours Alexia." Barrabus let his hand drop to his jeweled dagger, making the action appear as if he was just resting his hand on the hilt, but they both knew all it would take for the assassin to put it to use was the blink of an eye. They both knew that it would be a close call as a ball of flickering dark energy, interlaced with green acidic magical energy he correctly assumed, appeared in Alexia's right hand which he held out before him. Alexia's yellow eyes shone with an inner insanity that seemed to have been inherited from his equally insane recently dead father, but Barrabus didn't look away or flinch a muscle, his sheer willpower and discipline helping him to stare down the mage before him.

Alexia gave a humorless laugh and snapped his hand shut. "I have more important things to do than to destroy the new dog they found in you, assassin." He spat the last word out but Barrabus didn't comment as the young pest pushed past the assassin without preamble, and again Barrabus was tempted to bury his dagger into the man's back and kill him. Again his loyalty to his employers stopped him, but only by a hair's breath. There would be a reckoning between them soon enough, but for now Barrabus, once known as Artemis long ago, did nothing but watch the biotic mage wander off to the temporary meeting hall on one of the upper floors of the fortified castle dungeons. He had other, more important fish to fry with Giselle. Alexia would get his either from her or Barrabus, but either way, the Zhentarim's weapon would die, soon if the assassin had anything to say about it.

* * *

**2178 CE. March 5th**

**The Woods of Sharp Teeth, the Western Heartlands**

**SSV Hastings, med bay.**

**Debriefing….**

Giselle had no idea what she was going to be walking out of when she exited the med bay, but it sure wasn't what she saw. She had expected more of the same metal walls and maybe a few odd machines like the ones back in Chakwas's medical bay, but her expectations had been blown out of the water when she set eyes upon the rest of the ship's interior on this floor at least. "By the gods above and below." She managed to say, Alexandria's gaze falling on her friend's shocked expression but her worries for her friend's obvious culture shock weren't entirely needed since the half Drow recovered quickly as she smiled, albeit weakly, at Shepard to show she was going to be alright. "It's just…a lot to take in is all."

"I gathered that. Don't worry, stick close and feel free to ask whatever questions you want." Giselle nodded as Shepard walked her through the ship's interior, heading to the front where the cockpit resided, along with the CIC itself. The interior of the ship was big, almost circular from stem to stern except for the wings in the back which gave it an almost shark like appearance to Giselle's opinion from what she'd say later when she saw the outside of it. Rows of computer and holographic interfaces as Shepard called them, were against both sides of the wall, circling the entire perimeter. Even the cockpit in the front had many such interfaces before the three man crew in the front of the ship who as Shepard explained, were the ones that got from around with the help of the crew running various important functions of the ship. "I know it's a lot to take in, but everyone here works together to accomplish our goals, whatever our superiors deem them to be. If one person screws up, which thankfully rarely happens since we all go through rigorous training no matter what we choose to do, it could have severe consequences for the rest of us if we don't catch it in time and there aren't specific routines and safety features that can help stop anything catastrophic from killing us all in most cases."

"You're like a hive of bees or ants, each person having a job that they do for the good of the colony, or in this case, the ship." Alexandria had to nod in agreement at the comparison since it made a weird kind of sense, but before Alexandria could ask where she came up with that though, Giselle shrugged and continued. "I know the ways of the forest and the wild lands. Remember I said that my father taught me everything I know? He learned from a ranger, a man that my father highly respected and came to call his first true friend when he came to the surface long ago. Much wisdom can be learned from observing even the simplest of creatures and unexpected allies as well if my father's tales are to be believed." She had no reason to doubt what he had told her growing up, but some of them were just a little farfetched even for Giselle to believe. Still, she'd never say he was a liar since she truly loved the man even if they had separated on a rather harsh note at the time.

Shepard had forgotten that she had met the man Giselle so highly valued, and rightfully so, until then, but she didn't say anything just yet since she really did need her help if they were given the go ahead to assault the Eclipse base that they knew about. She didn't want to go in blind without someone that knew about the locals, and neither did someone else higher up the chain of command who was coming to Toril, a message being received and passed along to the rest of the crew a moment later.

Alexandria was concerned that if she did mention the fact that she had met Giselle's father in Baldur's Gate, then she'd want to try to hurry up and catch up with him. She hated manipulating anyone like this but she wanted to be prepared, just in case, hence why she kept her silence about the whole affair….for now.

"Got a message from the Alliance. They're sending a full repair crew and needed supplies to help us finish, but there's a VIP coming with them. Better brace yourselves, it's Anderson." There was an audible curse from the captain, at least audible to Giselle who saw the man who was saluted as he rushed to the front of the ship since he wanted a word with the brass, and he wanted a chance to chew someone poor unfortunate who happened to get in his way a new asshole. At least that's what Alexandria got from the expression stamped on the man's face. Shepard though smiled briefly to herself, a fact Giselle didn't miss and a twinkle of amusement entered her hazel eyes.

"Anderson a friend of yours Shepard?" Giselle asked, earning a small smile from Shepard who rubbed the back of her head a little, seeming almost embarrassed to admit what she was about to say.

"Yeah, you could say that. He's one of the reasons why I joined the Alliance. He's been like a mentor figure to me, same as your dad is to you." Giselle nodded as Shepard lead the way out of the CIC area and to the lower levels. The conversation would be continued later when they were at a safe distance away from the irate man that passed for leadership onboard.

Giselle had immediately taken a dislike to the man since he was obviously not suited for his position if her opinion was asked. His men and women obviously feared him rather than respected him, something that she didn't tolerate well with people in authority, regardless of who they happened to be or where they came from. There was a fine line between fear and respect, and one would likely get you killed if you had your men under your command too afraid to perform to the best of their abilities. Anger was not a good quality to have when trying to lead other people.

Alexandria had a similar thought going through her head, unbeknownst to either woman as she lead the half Drow down to the armory and docking area in the SSV Hastings where they stored their Mako and the weapons and armor lockers belonging to the crew. Giselle followed close behind Shepard as she lead the way to her own personal locker which opened up at the press of her thumb to the scanner attached to the thing, silently observing as the human prepared to head outside.

She wasn't about to take a chance that more of those creatures were outside, waiting for a feast if she was asked to head out again, which was a possibility, especially if Anderson was coming to help coordinate them. She had a feeling he would since she wasn't the only one that had a thing against mercenaries, especially if they were messing around on an uncharted world, doing who knew what. That was probably the reason why the captain here had a stick up his butt, he wanted to head out and leave the backwater locals to deal with the problem themselves, a phrase she had caught him saying shortly after she had checked on Giselle's status after getting back to the ship yesterday.

Any praise she had felt earlier from the captain's words was gone now because of this wish to abandon the locals, and Alexandria wouldn't have it, or at least she wouldn't if she could get away with speaking against her current CO without getting into more trouble anyway. Something just didn't seem right about it was all, but what that might be she had no clue as she opened the cargo ramp and watched it as it slowly unfolded and extended outward, revealing the mid afternoon light outside along with the forested region the Hastings was currently located within. For now, she sighed and shook her head, making Giselle wonder what Alexandria was thinking about as they went outside and found a nearby fallen log to sit on within the clearing that was within easy walking distance of the ship's entrance.

She knew however when someone wanted to talk alone with one they at least felt comfortable with and Giselle was dead on as Alexandria nodded for her to sit down, but Giselle preferred to stand. "It'd be safer if one of us was standing Shepard, especially if there are monsters about out there. The time it takes for someone to stand, draw a weapon and to put it to use might be only a few seconds, but a few seconds is more than enough for some to kill you on the spot." Alexandria wasn't about to argue the point since there was too much on her mind already, something that the half Drow could tell without needing to be a mind reader if the scowl on the human's young face was anything to go by. "Speak what's on your mind; I'll keep an ear out for anyone trying to eavesdrop. What? I've been around long enough to know how to talk and let my other senses do their job at making sure my various contacts weren't overheard by potential enemies."

Alexandria's facial expression had been enough to tell Giselle that her comment had surprised her by the fact she was spot on about her observations. Then again, she was more than twice Alexandria's age so it was reasonable to assume that the half Drow would be able to tell she needed to talk and didn't want to risk discovery by one of her captain's lackeys or the captain himself for that matter. "You're much more experienced in this than is probably healthy if you read all that from my face Giselle." Giselle shrugged since it was a bit regrettable some days that she knew how to handle being spied upon, among other things of the same ilk, but such was how she was raised and it had saved her life a few times in the past.

"Sometimes I do wish that I had led a more normal life, but those are rare since most days, I wouldn't know what to do with myself otherwise. This is what I know, and this is what I'll always be most likely." She almost sounded sad about it as she sighed and looked away, perhaps not as convincing as she tried to sound to Alexandria who gave her a sympathetic look in turn, perhaps understanding her wish to be something more than what she was.

"It's not unreasonable to wish to lead a life that didn't require us to do the things we do. If there wasn't a need for people like us, then there would be no reason for war and violence to be stopped on a regular basis. I'm a soldier, you're an adventurer, in the end we do what we can to make sure others don't have to suffer the evils of another upon their well being, their freedoms, even if our end methods are different as well as our personal motivations." It was Giselle's turn to be surprised since she hadn't expected Alexandria to catch on so quickly to her personal turmoil. She truly did enjoy helping people, but some days she felt like she had had no choice but to follow in her father's footsteps. That's the real reason she had run off, although feeling like she was a caged bird hadn't helped either.

"You're far wiser than you look Alexandria. You'd be a better leader for the people onboard than the current captain. You have a….way about you that makes even me who trusts few people, especially on a first meeting, to follow you into the Nine Hells and back if you asked, although it would have to be a very good reason to go marching into such a place." Giselle teased, alleviating the tension a little that had started to gather between them. Alexandria's blue eyes shone a moment as she sat forward a little, resting her hands underneath her chin as she pondered the warrior's words. She had heard similar things before during Basic Training, but she didn't quite believe it herself, at least not yet.

"Thanks, but I'm just another human, I'm not particularly special in any real sense of the word Giselle. Still, you wouldn't be the first one to say that; I just find it hard to believe is all. My whole family has been soldiers in the Alliance Navy; I'm just carrying on the tradition is all. My mother is the leader, not me. She's in command of her own ship and she's long since earned the respect of her crew. I don't think I'd make a very good leader." Giselle wasn't convinced as she finally decided that maybe she had been standing up long enough despite her earlier comment about wanting to be standing if they got attacked.

"If you compare yourself to your parents and try to fill their shoes, then you will never grow into your own Shepard. Take it from someone that knows from personal experience." Giselle replied, but Shepard's mind was wandering over the Battle of the Skyllian Blitz, as well as her recent losses here on Toril. People had looked to her both times and she had failed too many for her to ever be able to sleep easily again. She had rallied the people of Elysium to defend their homes and their families, but there had still been too many losses all the same. And now….she had lost two of her own men that had relied upon her and they had died because of what they had run up against. They had relied on her and she had failed them. The half Drow could see that her words weren't getting through and wondered if she was missing something important. "That's not what's really bothering you….is it?"

Shepard stood and took several steps away from both the ship and the dark skinned woman behind her. She was a marine, a soldier, yet she had been chosen to lead and she had not done a very good job of it. She didn't want to talk about it but she couldn't keep it bottled up forever either. She had seen what that did to people, and she didn't want to be one of those that constantly dealt with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Survivor's Guilt or any of that. Giselle she oddly enough trusted already despite how obviously different they were, at least on a physical level if nothing else.

Giselle despite herself had been honest with Alexandria, so it was a welcome relief to know that the human trusted her with what she heard from the human as the young woman explained what had happened on another world far from where they were now. She listened without question as Alexandria walked her through the Skyllian Blitz and how she had been a part of the defensive line against the slavers and pirates that had taken it upon themselves to try to decimate everything her species had tried to achieve. She found her ebony skinned hands clenched up into tight fists by the time Shepard was done, but it was her more recent exploits that put things into perspective for the half Drow.

She didn't say anything until she was standing in front of Shepard, her back to the human woman. Alexandria didn't know what to expect, and so was surprised when Giselle reached behind her back and pulled up her mithril chainmail shirt up and almost over her head, revealing three formerly ragged scars across her shoulder blades. They looked exceptionally deep and she rightfully assumed that they had been the source of many painful days of recovery. "I might not know what a Batarian or a mech or any of those things are that you told me about, but I understand what it is you went through Alexandria Shepard. I might not have been placed in such a massive scale of a battle as you have been already, but I still know what it's like to see those you feel you failed to save because you weren't fast enough, weren't strong enough to protect them all." Pulling her armor shirt back down, Giselle turned on her heel and told her own story that had helped shape the young warrior into who she was today.

"It was about three years ago now. There had been recent reports of a creature burning entire villages to the ground, plundering anything of value it could find, even kidnapped a few women and taken them back to its lair. Typical red or lesser elemental fire dragon behavior overall except for the last part, something that isn't unheard of for some species of dragon but as far as I've ever heard reds are more concerned with devouring anything they can get their hands on as well as increasing their treasure hoards rather than breeding half dragons. Whatever, didn't matter what it was, only that there was a large group of heroes planning to take it apart and I wanted in. I had seen the destruction it left in its wake and I wasn't going to allow it to continue if at all possible. Most older dragons that have lived for hundreds of years have lore written about them, ways to exploit any personality weaknesses they might have, among other things, but this one hadn't been around long enough to have warranted such research."

"You went in blind?" Giselle nodded since it was the gist of it. That was a mistake as they'd find out since while any dragon, good or not, was a threat to even the strongest of heroes and the most cunning of warriors, some were easier to manage than others. A red was common enough that most tactics that had been developed for such worked, but this one had developed a few tricks of its own despite its young age.

"It had only been maybe 140, 150 years old, so that made it an adult if not a young adult, and we were young and cocky, thinking to bring home stories of a slain dragon, except for me. I knew better than to assume it'd be easy, turns out I was right. Out of the two dozen that went up to its mountain lair, only three of us made it out. Near the end of that intense fight, most likely one of the hardest in my life so far, I had managed to disable its breath weapon, making it a lot easier to manage by making it impossible to use his fire on us anymore without hurting himself in the process, but we were at the end of our endurance by then, as was the dragon." Alexandria could tell this wasn't an easy topic for Giselle to talk about since the moment she had begun; the half Drow hadn't been able to talk above a whisper the whole time.

She waited for her to finish, and she didn't have to wait long since while it was hard, it wasn't impossible for Giselle to speak about the battle that had nearly killed her, especially since there had been a silver lining despite all the death and destruction along the way. "We thought it slain as the dragon's long, serpentine neck fell against the floor, the head of the beast falling at our feet a moment later, but as we were going outside after collecting a fair bit of its treasure for ourselves as proof, the beast had one more dredge of strength to throw at us. I got in the way of the attack just in time to save another's life. I had seen enough people die that day and I wasn't going to watch another fall. I didn't know anything more until I woke up numb from the neck down, on my stomach as my wounds were being tended to again I was told later, having been out of commission for a week. It was at the temple we managed to crawl back to that I met my closest friend and ally, Neria Zathrieal. If not for her, even if I had somehow survived my wounds, I doubt I'd be who I am now since she tended to more than my physical well being. She helped me put myself back together mentally as well since I felt extreme guilt and shame at being able to survive when so few others had."

Giselle smiled softly as she looked to Alexnadria's face, her hazel eyes showing warmth and understanding for what she was going through now that she had an idea of why she was beating herself up as much as she was. "Neria told me what her mentor told her. You can save as many people as you want, but only the gods have the power to save everyone and they don't interfere directly however since what would be the point of us living if everything was done for us? We live, we grow, we bleed, we cry, but as long as we don't give up, as long as we continue to fight for what we believe in, then nothing can ever stop us. Don't let what happened to you or your men stop you from going on Shepard. I wasn't in a leadership position perhaps but people still depended upon me, and I might not have been able to save them all, but that doesn't stop me from trying. I simply embrace the idea that no matter how strong you are, no matter how fast you are, you'll never be able to save everyone. While it sounds like I'm being hard, I am really not being a cold bitch about this Shepard. I still wish that I had been able to save those that had fallen, but thinking about it will only lead to madness. As long as I do all in my power to make sure I CAN protect as many people as possible, I sleep better at night."

Giselle's wisdom was well received as Shepard still felt bad about the loss of life, but she was right. The formerly defeated look on her young face was gone, replaced by a new outlook on what she had recently endured which showed in the small smile she now wore. "Thanks Giselle. You have no idea how much that was needed. It still might take me some time to get over it but you gave me a way to handle it better than I had been."

"I'd be worried if you were feeling better about it here and now Shepard." Giselle countered, making both women chuckle lightly as a stray breeze rustled the grass and the leaves above them lightly. For several moments they sat there and silently pondered what the other had said, having taken much from the conversation they had had with each other, and growing stronger overall because of it. Despite how different their lives had been, underneath they were quite similar, in more ways than some would ever understand.

* * *

**1435 DR**

**Baldur's Gate, the Western Heartlands**

**The Elfsong Tavern.**

**Harper Negotiations….**

The Elfsong Tavern, so named because of the haunting singing of an elven woman's ghost somewhere on the upper floor of the Tavern, would forever echo around the wooden and stone structure. The ghost in question was storied to have lost her love when she was alive, a soldier who had died, defending Baldur's Gate, and that she sings every night in the hopes that he would return home. It was true because Drizzt and several companions he had traveled with beyond those of his closest friends, had seen the soldier and learned the other half of the story from that very soldier, enslaved to Eldrith the Betrayer's powerful will inside her Onyx Tower fortress. Eldrith the Betrayer, a legendary tactician and unrivaled human swordswoman, had been at the heart of a dark alliance between his own people, the Drow, gnolls, ogres, giants, and more. She had bested Death itself and had returned to the Prime Material Plane to wreak havoc and chaos against the city she had felt had betrayed her in life long ago.

That particular story had begun right here, in the Elfsong Tavern, so it seemed fitting that a new one would begin here as well. Just like then, the legendary Drow ranger had been approached by a Harper, and just like then, so it was now. The irony was not lost on Drizzt Do'Urden as he let his mind wander for a few brief seconds, unable to suppress the stirrings of a voice of his first true love as it echoed throughout his consciousness.

"_I will always love you Drizzt Do'Urden my life was full and without regret because I knew you and was completed by you. Sleep well, my love."_

Those were the last words Cattie-brie, adopted daughter to Bruenor Battlehammer, had ever spoken to him before Mielikki herself, using the avatar of a spectral unicorn, took her away because there was no hope of recovery for the human woman he had watched grow from a young child into such a beautiful woman over the years of his life on the surface world. The Spellplague had claimed her, right before his eyes, and he had not been able to save her.

It was her eternal reward for all that she had done, both for the world they had lived in together….as well as for him since she had kept him from the darkest parts of his own soul for so long. If not for the equally lost mother of his children who had entered his life shortly after he had lost the first true love of his soul, Drizzt was sure he would have yet fallen into despair unending and might have even become that which he had warned the human from beyond this world's surface himself.

He was pulled out of his reverie however, out of his centuries old memories as well as the more recent ones, by the man that had enlisted his own flesh and blood into the Harpers. He still wasn't particularly happy about how the fellow had managed it, especially under the Drow's nose, but on the other hand he was being overprotective and he knew it.

Drizzt's lavender eyes softened their hard gaze as he let the man carry on, trying to explain in a calm a voice as possible, (which he wasn't all that successful with if the quaver in his speech was anything to go by,) until Drizzt had heard enough and silenced the Harper with a firm hand on his shoulder. "Be at peace, Jarus, great grandson of Jherek. I understand the need was great, and you chose your people well. I am simply an old father that should not cage his own children as much as he does. My anger at you is misplaced friend, of that I know now."

Jarus breathed a sigh of relief as he slumped in the booth they shared with each other. The Harper still kept his hood up as he normally did, but it did little to hide his identity from the night enhanced eyes of the Drow warrior before him. "I can understand the desire to protect your own Drizzt, but as you yourself have said they are your children. If any can get the jobs done that need done, it is they. It just happened to be Giselle that I came across first was all."

"Indeed. But they wouldn't be who they are today if they hadn't desired to learn what they know now. Teachings can only go so far if the student is unwilling to learn. I was blessed, as is the rest of this world, in that they wanted to be greater than those that came before them, although I am proud to say that that was not their sole reason for training in their respective arts as they have." Drizzt tipped his glass of wine and took a slow and measured sip after raising his glass in thanks to the goddess he still followed, a gesture that Jarus didn't miss but he didn't say anything of it. He had been rightfully afraid that the legendary ranger would have had more than a few harsh words for the Harper who had recruited one of his own without so much as a warning letter in case things went south, but thankfully everything went fine and he still had his head on his shoulders.

Those scimitar blades he wore on his hips were not mere decoration after all, and Jarus wondered, and not for the first time, just how many had fallen to the legendary skill of the warrior before him with those same weapons he favored. He was just lucky that he wasn't doomed to follow them. "People like yourself are rare; the world is truly blessed to have you and your continued legacy to help protect the Realms…."

"when the Realms cannot protect themselves. I know the Harper creed." Drizzt chuckled lightly as he finished his wine and set the empty glass down before him. "No, the Realms are lucky to have not just my own sword even now, but that of my children as well, but not just they. Heroes are still out there Jarus, even beyond this world they are still out there. I met one today, as you are well aware. You met her yourself."

"Shepard." Drizzt nodded since the human was not like most people he had come across. There was strength, untapped as of yet, about her that no sentient being could miss if they had eyes to see and ears to hear. "You truly believe her leader's words then?"

"I believe in many things Jarus. The possibility of life beyond our sphere that we call Toril might be farfetched even to someone as old as I, but I do not dismiss the possibility out of hand either. I keep an open mind to all things. Besides, have you ever seen a metal carriage such as the one that landed in the middle of this city before the night before?" Jarus could not argue that point since the human woman's armor and gear were quite different from those they were used to here on Toril. So Jarus could do the only thing he could and shook his head at the question, confirming the Drow's line of questioning. Said Drow's lavender eyes seemed to soften further since that meant while what he had said earlier was true, he at least was not the only one that was open to the idea of life beyond Toril. He had just never given it much thought before.

They were about to go on until the doors to the Elfsong opened, and while most other times Drizzt wouldn't have paid it any mind, his nose detected even amidst the smells of old ale and unwashed bodies the sweet perfume and the scent of the woods as the breeze carried it to the table he shared with Jarus. He turned his gaze then and was surprised to see the light elf that Giselle had spoken quite highly of in her letters.

He also noted the sword and shield along with the finely crafted elven mithril chainmail she wore on her slender frame, denoting more than a simple healer. She was a cleric, and the crescent moon pendant she wore around her pale neck on a silver chain identified her faith as that belonging to most light elven, that of Corellan Larathain. Jarus noted it as well and had a feeling this fair maiden was here for Drizzt. He was right as Neria's sea green eyes finally fell upon the one she had been looking for, although she had been hoping to find Giselle instead.

_Take what you can get. _Neria mentally said to herself, truly happy to have found ANY of the Do'Urden family since Baldur's Gate was quite big. She had been lucky enough to hear of the legendary warrior's passing since Drow were not common anywhere on the face of Toril, so it made finding him easier, but the size of the city was still enough that it had taken her almost three hours to finally track him down to the Elfsong Tavern. "Pray forgive my intrusion Lord Do'Urden…"

Drizzt stopped her with a raised hand and a soft, warm and compassionate smile. "I am no lord, Neria Zathrieal, and neither would I want to be in a position of such power over anyone. Please, just call me Drizzt, for that is all I am and all I ever wish to be." Neria felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment but she nodded, quick to adapt since she hadn't been sure how to address such a famed and fabled warrior as he. His smile grew a little wider since she hadn't been the first to have made that mistake, but it was one easily forgiven.

Jarus rose and offered a quick farewell to the two, excusing himself before said warrior changed his mind and decided he'd want another word with the Harper. Drizzt indicated the seat that had just been vacated and Neria offered a quick thank you before sitting down, feeling ill at ease before him, a fact Drizzt was quick to note. "There is no need to be afraid of me in any sense Neria. My fame is well earned perhaps, but I am just another wandering adventurer, finding his place in the world wherever he can."

"You speak too lowly of yourself. You who have faced countless enemies and survived to tell the tale. You are an inspiration to so many, myself included. You mean a great deal to countless people, and it is a rare honor to be able to talk to someone of your ability." Drizzt again could understand why Neria would be so ill at ease, but again he tried to allay her awe and fear of upsetting him in some form. Some people he knew that had anywhere near the experiences and tales that he had behind them would have long since let said exploits get to their heads, expecting special treatment and the like for deeds Drizzt and those true heroes like himself did for the good of all without any real need for reward.

"Consider it this way then if it shall help you Neria. You consider me a hero, a warrior without equal and thus to be feared and respected in the same breath. You know my daughter; she often spoke highly of you in the letters I'd periodically receive from her when she wasn't able to come back to Mithral Hall in person, and so I know of you. If anyone should receive the praise you have been throwing at me, it should be you, Neria Zathrieal. The trials you have endured would have broken a lesser person." The light elf's eyes were wide as saucers but she was more surprised that this dark elven warrior, this Drow, would say such a thing about her rather than the fact he had brought up the most horrible moment of her life, and the sad and sympathetic expression on his visage was a clear indicator he didn't do it lightly.

"I…thank you…Drizzt Do'Urden." Neria replied, her throat partially closed up since even that brief mention of her past made it hard to subdue the tears that were still fresh from visiting the graves of her clan just the other day. Drizzt patiently waited for her to recover, truly wishing that no one had to endure such a thing as she had, but the fact that she had become the woman she was now was testament to how strong she was, both because of it and because of who she had become later on. Neria meanwhile managed to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat and offered a weak smile, trying to convey she was alright. Drizzt didn't believe her but he didn't say anything. Let her deal with it as she had for now. He had only just met her and it wasn't his place to immediately try to get her to open up to him. That was Giselle's job. She was Giselle's friend, but if Neria started to call the old ranger a friend, then he would gladly accept the offer.

"What brings you here and to me Neria? You looked like you were on an urgent mission when I first saw you, so please, speak your mind openly with me."

"Of course. It…started a month ago." Drizzt listened intently as Neria recalled the possibly prophetic dreams she had been having, his face growing more serious in its appearance as the light elf before him continued on with her tale. He didn't interrupt her, didn't ask needless and pointless questions, he simply sat and observed her every movement, gauging for himself whether she was in her right mind or not. He found no reason to believe she was crazy, but despite his own close encounters with beings that rivaled the gods of Toril itself, he wasn't quick to dismiss or accept Neria's dreams as anything but dreams despite the obvious content of them. Or at least, he wouldn't have been so quick to accept or dismiss them, if not for the events of last night and this morning.

"I believe you." Drizzt replied simply, noting that Neria was shocked to hear it as was told by the expression on her face. He was quick to continue. "I have seen many things in this world over my long life, but last night saw something even I was not entirely prepared for. If you're willing then I would gladly show you proof of what it is I've seen and tell you the tale that has been surely passing through the city like wildfire since last night and the early morning." Neria had heard such rumors on her way to the Elfsong but she had been quick to dismiss them, now to hear the same from someone as trustworthy and noteworthy as Drizzt himself made her wonder if she had been wise to dismiss such wild claims that visitors from beyond their skies had come down for some reason or another.

"Show me so that I might make sense of what's transpired here and what I might be seeing in my dreams of late, Drizzt Do'Urden."

* * *

_A/N The introduction of a son from Marik, the former human assassin Artemis Entreri now known as Barrabus the Grey, Neria's continued investigation that is likely to lead her to the Woods of Sharp Teeth, and the arrival of the future Captain David Anderson on the planet of Toril. All this and more, all before the beginning of the first ME game. Even I had not expected things to turn as they have been, but I truly hope that you all have enjoyed the tale as much as I've enjoyed writing for all of you._


	8. Ch 7 Investigations and More

_A/N. Thank you all for your continued support. Your reviews, both good, bad, and in-between, have been most welcome and well received. Llandaryn, Inkess, M. , Osage, LyingOwl-Aria, (I don't dare not to mention her since she's named after the same Aria that runs Omega lol,) Full-Paragon, and so many more have been dedicated readers and I wanted to thank you all for your support. Thank you very much! Now, on with the show!_

_Author Addendum; I'm a huge movie buff as well as a fan of cartoons, TV shows, anime, etc. If you see any such references coming up, feel free to comment and identify them. The winner gets….bonus points, yeah lol. Seriously though, here's to another chapter! To peace! (Ducks as the explosions begins around the armed transport of troops.)_

_Additional Notes; I don't know for sure who is in charge of the Zhentarim as far as names, races, etc are concerned, so you'll have to forgive me if someone actually DOES know and I get them wrong. And when I say who was in charge, I mean recently as of 1435 DR, not when there actually still was a council of 12 Zhentarim Lords. :P Well it probably doesn't matter much anyway since this is AU in both FR and ME so eh, whatever. Still, just thought I'd throw that out there. ;D_

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Chapter 7; Investigations and More.

**1435 DR**

**Baldur's Gate, the Western Heartlands.**

**Hands of Glory Base, Warehouse District.**

**Backtracking….**

The first dead body they came upon was the same assassin Shepard had shot in the head with her unique weaponry. Drizzt didn't try to determine which one it might have been from the gear he had seen on her person, he was more interested that other than the single clean hole in his head and a rather interesting mess of the back she had made of the assassin's skull, there wasn't any indication to say that he was simply asleep where he fell. Of course, all one had to do was to look slightly higher up and see the brain and blood splatter that was on the floor to know otherwise. "Interesting way to go down I suppose. At least it was quick, a pity really." Drizzt said aloud as he stood and dusted himself off, earning an inquiring look from Neria who stood behind him. "A pity because this next one clearly belongs to Giselle. And if she had not protected Shepard from a knife in the back, she most likely would have made an example of the fool who worked with equal fools who had thought it wise to kidnap young children for their twisted ends."

Neria made a mental point not to ever fall to the wrong side of the morality line. It was clear that the warrior before her had no qualms about killing assassins and their ilk, even hinting that perhaps he might have even toyed with his quarry before killing them outright, a tendency that might have been passed onto Giselle herself.

That aside, she was impressed by Drizzt's tracking skills since the little dust that had been on the ground revealed little to Neria's eyes, but on the other hand she hadn't been alive nearly as long as the Drow elf ranger before her who had tracked far better prey than these fools. The battle that had been fought here was clear as day to said Drow as he walked onward, taking point out of old habit than anything else.

Despite the strange weaponry brought to bear by the human, Drizzt was still impressed and intrigued by her obvious efficiency since from what his eyes and senses told him, she had kept on par with his daughter kill for kill. Leaning against a wall of boxes that cut off a circuitous route around an area of the base was a Hand riddled with bullets, while the one on the other side of the same hall had been sliced to ribbons by scimitar blades. The dogs they discovered were also testament to their equal skill in a fight; Giselle's trademark style hand in hand with Shepard's preferred weapon of choice were easily distinguished from each other even to Neria's sea green orbs. "They never had a chance did they?"

"It would seem not Neria. Come along." The entire Hall had been decimated by these two young women from entirely different backgrounds, homes, and more, and yet they had complimented each other rather well despite it all. It took at least a year depending on how well you trusted the person beside you, to find such a well balanced niche with the other, yet the two that had swept through the Hands of Glory had done all this in a single night. Drizzt wasn't sure what to make of it, but if they had been meant to meet as they had, then maybe there was more at work than even he could hope to comprehend. Whatever the case, whatever the signs of battle told him, he had one thing set in stone already in his heart and mind.

Anyone that crossed those two would not be alive for long.

The fact that one was human and the other his own flesh and blood who looked quite remarkably like a Drow, was also not lost on him. His own first true friend had been a human, an old ranger by the name of Montolio Debrouchie. If this somehow had been set into motion by Mielikki and her compatriots, then he wished any enemies Giselle and Alexandria Shepard met a speedy trip to whatever afterlife they believed in before those two found them if this place was any indication of what they might do later, if they decided to travel together of course.

It wasn't until they found what was left of Marik and his personal guard that Drizzt felt his hands clench tightly at what he had recalled about the man that had all but ruined his daughter's chance at happiness. Neria put a comforting hand on the old ranger's right shoulder, knowing the story as well. "He got what he deserved, even if it was thirty years too late." He looked to his companion and offered a small smile, glad to have her with him now more than ever.

"If it was in your power to do so however, would you revive Marik just so you can kill him yourself?" Neria looked away at the question since she had entertained those exact same thoughts but she'd never openly admit to it. Drizzt chuckled lightly and lead the way forward to the nearest of the mostly intact Hands of Glory assassins' corpses that he could find, hoping to find anything that might point them to where they needed to go next. Besides a few odds and ends, a few gold coins that they kept for themselves, it wasn't until they separated that they found the answers they were after.

Neria never heard the assassin drop from the ceiling above, but Drizzt had sensed the killer's presence a moment before he had any idea he was going to try to kill them. The assassin had seen the fight, had hid up on the ceiling's rafters the entire time while his fellows died one right after the other, and had done nothing to aid them. He had figured it was every man for himself long before the two women that had swept aside over thirty men with ease had even reached the inner sanctum of their Hall, and so had hidden himself away out of reach and out of sight until two newcomers had started to search the place. That and he had fallen asleep up there, having not woken up until the doors to his hiding place had been opened once more. He had at first thought there might have been survivors, but a quick and quiet look down had dashed those hope to the ground.

If he couldn't kill the ones that had defeated them all, then he'd at least satiate his need for revenge on these two. A mistake that he learned about far too late until he felt a scimitar blade take his right arm at the shoulder, the same arm he had been preparing to use to plunge his dagger into the woman's back, fall off as he fell screaming. He forgot all about his need for revenge and clutched weakly at the stump that remained with his good hand. The assassin had never heard the Drow coming up behind him at a silent run the moment the ranger realized who the bastard's target was about to be.

Neria had never heard the ranger either and again was immensely glad that Drizzt was on her side. "I didn't even know he was there!" Drizzt nodded but didn't pay the downed assassin any mind, but he almost stopped the cleric as she knelt before the downed man and put pressure to the wound, aiding the very same person that had just tried to kill her. "If you want my aid, tell me why you did all this." She asked; her voice surprisingly gentle despite what had nearly happened to her.

The assassin was taken aback since he had expected to die, bleeding out all over the floor from what used to be his right arm. He groaned weakly as coldness, likely from the blood he had lost already, started to creep across his body. He didn't have long without some help of any kind, and they all knew it. "Heal me…and I'll tell you."

Drizzt wouldn't have done any such thing. He would have let the man die and searched his corpse for anything that might have pointed them in the direction they needed to go next. But Neria was not Drizzt and the Drow was in a way grateful that the beautiful priestess he had taken with him was present since she was a better person than he was in some regards.

He silently watched as a warm white light enveloped the stump her hand covered which had since turned a dark shade of red by then, and he watched further as that same stump started to close over with fresh skin. She didn't regenerate the limb, but she kept the man alive and from bleeding out all over the ground. It would have to be enough. "Now, tell us what it is you know." Neria repeated, hoping to hide the sweat that had formed on her forehead as she stood once more and stood beside Drizzt a moment later.

Pulling the black mask that covered most of his face down, the assassin revealed that he couldn't have been older than twenty, if that, surprising Neria but not Drizzt since he had seen the same thing long before during the first attack on the Hands. It wasn't common knowledge, but it was rumored that the Hands got most of their recruits young, twelve if not younger and trained them viciously until they were deemed ready to stand on their own. Whatever the truth of the matter, it only served to justify what had been done against them in Drizzt's opinion, especially after the young man before them explained who had hired them and why.

"Marik was working with the Zhentarim. He had helped set up this idea that if we could kidnap the Duke's girl, they'd pay us quite a bit for her safe return. The money that was to be sent to the Zhentarim after we got our share would help fund their operations further. I don't know what they're planning, but you can be sure it's not good for the rest of the Heartlands and beyond if they have their way." The assassin explained, still feeling pretty weak but he was just grateful to be alive at this point. Drizzt however wasn't entirely convinced that was the whole story and started to raise his scimitar blade once more, the same one that had the man's blood still on it. The assassin's eyes widened considerably, and he hastily added more to his explanation.

"I heard talk about setting up something called an FOB at what's left of Dragonspear Castle. I have no idea what a FOB is but if they've already started pushing forward, then you're likely to find them there. Now that is all I know, I swear!" Drizzt lowered his blade and was about to start towards the ladder that was in the back of the room they were in when three daggers found the assassin's chest, neck, and head nearly simultaneously. Neria and Drizzt both turned fast, the elven priestess pulling her sword and shield while the ranger pulled his other scimitar, only to find it was Jarlaxle, a wide grin on his face as he stepped into the light.

"Why am I not surprised to find you involved in all this Jarlaxle?" Neria looked between the two Drow and since Drizzt seemed to relax, holding his blades pointed at the ground where a second ago they had been raised to attack whoever had thrown those daggers, she too relaxed but she kept her sword and shield ready to be raised at a moment's notice. Drizzt she trusted without question, but Jarlaxle she knew nothing about and thus she wasn't about to let her guard down around the mercenary leader.

"Because you know me too well old friend. You know that where there's trouble to be caused, and when it involves such unusual events shaping up around us all, that you'll find me somewhere nearby, springing into action or disappearing into the shadows once again." Jarlaxle retorted as he swept his wide brim hat before him and bowed with one of his customary grand flourishes he so favored. "So many interesting new people we've recently had visiting Baldur's Gate of late old friend, wouldn't you agree? It almost seems as if Fate's fickle hand has entered our lives once more, beckoning us to dance at her whim, and who are we to fight against such a call as hers?"

"Always one for the theatrics Jarlaxle. You have not changed much at all I see." Drizzt had since used the black robes of one of the assassins to clean his sword before putting them away, knowing that if Jarlaxle had wanted to capture or kill them, he would have made the move to do so by now. He suspected that the entire area was surrounded by his soldiers, just waiting to tear holes through reality and ambush them on all sides if any threat was aimed at the man himself. He wouldn't have been far off the mark as he nodded towards Neria to put her own weapons away. He noticed a slight hesitation but she obliged and did as she was told, earning a grin from Jarlaxle himself. "So, what do you know of all this then?"

"More than you'll get from me until I'm ready to tell old friend, you should know that." Jarlaxle's red eyes seemed to twinkle with his own humor but before Drizzt could protest, the mercenary leader held up his hand and continued on. "But for you Drizzt, I'm willing to let in on this latest adventure since it was your daughter and her new friend that got us on the path we're on now. Oh I met Alexandria Shepard as well, although I imagine she is still a little angry at my methods since I had her fate linked to me."

Showing the thread mark that was seemingly inked into Jarlaxle's black skin, Drizzt immediately knew who had done the deed. As if reading his thoughts, Jarlaxle grinned as he put a name to the very mage the two were thinking about. "Kimmeriul does fine work even now. I'll admit freely that he was quite happy that I've decided to take over Bregan D'aerthe once again, at least until this new business is sorted out."

A nearly inaudible scoff was heard from the shadows, most likely from the psionist himself at the news that Jarlaxle didn't plan to stick around after their current job was completed. All three elves heard the noise and again Drizzt and Neria were presented with one of Jarlaxle's trademark grins. He grew serious though as he looked up to the ladder and to the streets that lay beyond, far above them at the moment as they were.

Using the intricate hand language the Drow had developed as a means to communicate silently among their numbers since even the tiniest sound could give them away in the dark world they favored, the mercenaries under Jarlaxle's control were sent away so that the three could speak more freely amongst themselves. They didn't question even though a few of them Jarlaxle knew if given the chance, would have gladly taken Drizzt's head back to Menzoberranzan…if they had been able to claim it of course.

"What would you say that you don't want your own men to hear Jarlaxle Baenre?" Jarlaxle's normal visage fell away, replacing the cheery demeanor by the one he wore now which made the equally old mercenary leader seem far older than he had been a moment ago. Drizzt knew that Jarlaxle was at least fifty if not closer to a century older than he, meaning that the end of his long life was likely coming soon. A fact they were both well aware of but both didn't let it stop them from doing what they needed to do.

"That traveling with you Drizzt has been remarkably good despite what we did to each other in our younger years. We've fought against each other, perhaps indirectly for the most part, and we've fought together as well. You escaped the darkness so long ago that consumes all Drow like us. You had no idea what that meant at the time, but I know you know what it means to us all now. You did what no one thought possible and forged a better life than anyone in Menzoberranzan or any of our cursed cities ran by Lolth's priestesses could ever dream of or could even begin to fathom. I would not see this world destroyed by one group's ambitions." Jarlaxle replied, and Drizzt nodded solemnly since they had both grown so much in their long lives. It was little wonder that Jarlaxle was willing to carry on with one more adventure, since that was exactly what they were preparing to do.

"Neither would I old friend, neither would I. So what would you have us do about it then?"

"I know where to find your daughter and her new allies. I have men standing by on the fringes of their encampment, keeping back the locals when necessary. We can be there in a matter of hours." Jarlaxle explained, and Drizzt nodded his head in agreement since if nothing else came out of this, then he at least would get to see Giselle once more.

"Lead the way Jarlaxle."

Neria had remained quiet the whole time, silently observing the conversation between the two. She didn't know anything about Jarlaxle, but if Drizzt trusted him, then she'd at least force herself to work with the Drow mercenary leader. Elves on the surface and those below the ground however rarely got along for a very good reason since out of all the enemies the Drow thought they needed to destroy, the surface elves were the ones they went out of their way to slaughter mercilessly. Neria knew this, but she also knew that all Drow were not the same. Drizzt had proven that years ago, but that didn't mean she'd let her guard down either…

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**2178 CE. March 5****th****.**

**Zhentil Keep. Moonsea Region.**

**Meeting Hall of the Twelve Zhentarim Lords.**

**Putting plans into motion…**

Twelve wizards once sat around the grand meeting hall that marked the heart of the Zhentarim and their Black Network. Those days were long past when the Zhentarim had first been founded, due to their own corrupt natures and their inability to work on the right side of the law, or their unwillingness some would argue.

They were out for power and influence beyond what they had, always had been and it was a fact that would always likely remain. The former leadership after some major war or another broke out a little later in their history consisted of a single ruler with dozens of underlings helping to run things overall, but now, with the Eclipse's help, things were going back to before Bane, their chosen dark god that they allowed to be worshiped within their domain with a few others besides, had been chosen as their patron deity.

The history didn't much matter to Auora however. All the asari cared about was getting out of this situation in one piece, same as she had thought every time the 12 Lords of the Zhentarim called a meeting of the minds and their various strengths they brought to their dark whole within their dark holdings. It wasn't all bad though since she had been given a seat with the Lords, something she had been quite surprised to receive at the time ten years back, but given all that she had done to help restore them to the power they held once more, it shouldn't have been so surprising really.

And so, despite her misgivings about being here, Auora took her job as a Zhentarim Lord, on top of being the leader of the Eclipse branch here in Toril, quite seriously. "The forward operating base in Dragonspear Castle is near completion at last. Despite some technical difficulties, and the fact we had to clear out the troglodyte infestation along with the other creatures; the zombies, the skeletons warriors and their ilk, things are moving faster than ever now. Power should be coming online in the next day or two, meaning that if anyone's foolish enough to try to attack once the defenses are online, they won't get without a hundred meters."

The other Lords murmured their appreciation at various levels, some still finding the interference of the Eclipse a bother and a hindrance even, but the more open minded ones, which oddly enough counted a damned lich and a vampire of all things, willing to accept the Eclipse's help in all things that they did. Of course it didn't surprise Auora that the five humans; three male and two female, were mostly against her and her associates. Back in the wider galaxy, there were still pro-human groups that did all in their power to keep human interests a solo affair, and made it difficult if not downright dangerous to associate with aliens in their presence.

The other…less human among them however were the surprising factor to the asari since she had honestly expected their ways to always conflict with hers and her men, but they had been quicker to adapt than anyone else, especially the vampiric moon elf sorceress that was among them. She was….the most open minded of the lot, but next to the lich she was also the most dangerous in Auora's opinion.

According to local lore, liches were powerful wizards who had found a way to take their very souls out of their bodies and transfer them into some kind of specially prepared item, often times a jewel of considerable size or even a severed body part if push came to shove. When the second dark alliance had been crushed, investigations into an old mage's tower revealed that the tower had once held a lich who had tried to create a weather machine. His receptacle for his soul had been a severed hand, his own. His undead corpse was practically invincible until the hand was smashed, which it had been.

Auora didn't know where that special item was for this walking corpse, but if she ever needed to get her hands on it she'd be prepared to do whatever was necessary to get it since the lich was potentially the most dangerous one here.

The vampire at least, despite the fact she knew a great deal of magic of her own, could be easily disposed of if the right measures were taken. A simple stake through the heart, decapitation, or exposing her to sunlight or fire would do the trick well enough. Holy magics Auora knew would also work against the woman, but out of the two undead, Auora felt herself far more attracted to the sensuous creature that the vampire presented than the lich.

At least with the vampire woman, there weren't pieces of flesh and muscle falling off at random moments, neither did she smell that bad either, so that helped quite a bit to appeal to the asari's desires. And from the alluring gazes she had been receiving for the past year, she figured the feeling was mutual. Things had just been too busy to entertain anything of the sort was why Auora hadn't pursued anything with the vampire.

"Pardon me for asking but what took so long to begin with?" The lich asked, his voice seeming to come from some deep grave or rancid infested cave. It was just another reason why the asari hated the walking and very ugly former human that had thought it a good idea to become what he was now; a literal walking disease. She still had to give him an answer despite the fact that she hated his literally rotting guts.

"Well some of your number didn't agree with the Eclipse being here until we helped you lot reclaim your lost cities and fortresses here in the Moonsea region. It wasn't until we cleared out your competition; the pirates, the thieves, and the legions of undead that had taken hold over your domain after you lost against the Shadovar all those years back, that we started making some real progress once we had your support." Auora's eyes shone with amusement since she knew that those same naysayers didn't like to be reminded of how things had turned to shit when they had made a foolish alliance with the Shadovar's hated enemies back in the day. She had purposely thrown that barb out there just to watch them squirm.

The moon elf vampire showed her fangs briefly, smiling wickedly as she nodded her approval of the alien woman's words. She wasn't afraid to speak for herself or her compatriots, even against such unusual and very deadly people the Zhentarim presented on all fronts.

It was why she liked Auora so much more than anything, since here was a woman who didn't know the meaning behind words such as complacency or fear, at least not after she knew how to handle any threats aimed her way. Still, part of it was simply because the vampire wanted to see what she tasted like, but more of her own desire stemmed from just how physically appealing the blue skinned woman looked to the elder vampiress.

Whatever the real reason, Auora was in her element as she stood and stared down the ones that even now wanted her group gone. "If not for my people you wouldn't even be here now, would you?! Do you really want to go back to scuttling in the dark and trying to regain the so called legendary power this group once had with so little resources you had on hand at the time before we came along?!"

"Enough!" The moon elf shouted, calming the crowd as they had been prepared to silence the alien once and for all, but one look at the undead sorceress silenced them, hopefully for good. "She's right. I would not have us return to the darkness we came from simply because we cannot accept outside help or are unwilling to try to adapt to the new way of things. You are fools to assume we could have gathered anything close to what we have again in the forty years that the Eclipse has aided us in reclaiming what was once rightfully ours before poor judgment and backstabbing nearly destroyed us completely."

"But Mistress Arya, surely you jest?!" One of the still living humans started to say until the silver skinned and black haired vampire sorceress seemed to suddenly appear before the man and picked him up by his neck with one hand. He uselessly kicked and flailed against the superior strength leveled against him with Arya's face twisted into a horrible visage of its former beauty as she bared her fangs at him.

"That's enough! Put him down Arya!" The lich finally stepped in as he stood to his feet, earning a red eyed glare from Arya herself but she casually let the man drop without a second look where he took in ragged deep breaths to calm the pounding headache he was already feeling behind his eyes. Auora had to stop herself from pulling her pistol and putting an end to the idiot human herself, feeling quite smug that Arya had taken her side in this little debate. "Our plans are unchanged. We will attack Baldur's Gate first, secure it against any outside interference, and work our way up and down the Sword Coast from there. Now unless you want me to change my mind and let Arya make a meal out of anyone that objects, I suggest you prepare yourselves in the meantime as well as spread the message along to any and all of our soldiers. This council is adjourned!"

The few that were against the Eclipse quickly departed lest Arya decided to make a snack out of them anyway even though the lich had said otherwise. The rest of the meeting hall emptied out save for Arya, the lich who's name Auora didn't care to remember, and herself. The lich didn't stick around however since he could see where this was likely to go if the gazes those two headaches were giving each other was anything to go by. "Try not to tear the place apart." Was all he said as he wandered off without another word, shaking his bald head back and forth in annoyance. And people wondered why he had become a lich.

Arya didn't have to beckon Auora to follow her as the two wandered off to the vampire's private quarters. "Thank you for scaring that guy shitless. He had it coming." Arya smiled over her shoulder at the asari, her red soulless eyes twinkling in amusement. Red as blood as they might be, Auora wasn't afraid of the woman in the least despite the fact she could have easily snapped the still breathing asari's neck with a casual flick of her hand if she so desired….or worse sunk her fangs into her and sucked her dry.

"He was as you say an ass and needed to be put in his place. They all do for still thinking the old ways are better, that we support ourselves and let no outsiders join our ranks for fear of appearing weak. Forward thinking individuals like ourselves need to guide these fools lest they lead us to destruction yet again." Arya replied, her voice falling across Auora's ears like silk. Goddess she could listen to Arya talk all damn day. But she hoped they were planning something a little more than simply talking.

As if reading her mind, Arya stopped and turned on her heel, pinning Aoura to the stone wall behind her before planting her cold, black painted lips against the asari's purple, moaning softly as cold flesh met warmth lips. Aoura felt the older woman's tongue press against her teeth and the asari parted them, letting the vampire's appendage access to her mouth as she felt a hand rub against her head fringe, making Auora moan softly into the kiss they shared.

Just as quickly as it started, Arya pulled away, leaving a blushing asari panting as desire pulsed in her chest and radiated outward from there. "Damn….is it…always that intense…with you Arya?"

"Do you mean because I'm a vampire or simply because of my own personality traits you find so appealing, Auora?" The elven woman asked, earning a grin from her current and soon to be lover if things went her way, and they always did. "I have had many lovers in the past, men and women alike of various races. I however have not had the pleasure of an asari in my bed, and I find even in my eternity so far that the prospects are quite….appealing from what I've read about your species, Auora."

She had forgotten that they had set up a few extranet terminals in Zhentil Keep, allowing the locals to read up on the galaxy at large but most tended to avoid the machines, thinking them a waste of time. Computer savvy they were not, but a few, like Arya for example, were thirsty, even hungry for knowledge, and they were willing to go outside their comfort zones and learn new things, some quicker than others just like anywhere else. Still, Auora smiled wider as her green eyes fell on Arya's blood red orbs, further cementing whatever passed for a relationship between such a creature as Arya was.

"I would advise against melding with me however Auora. I know not what it might do to you since technically, I haven't been alive for three hundred years, and most of that time I was asleep, buried deep underground with no way out until Mordoc SeLanmere was destroyed, and his Keep of Pale Night sacked. Despite my overall evil nature, I value you too much as a partner and a fellow Lord of the Zhentarim to have your mind fracture from joining our nervous systems together since what you 'see' might not be anything you'd ever wish to see again." Arya warned, having caught the gist of how asari procreated, either for simple pleasure or for producing more asari young.

Either way, she didn't technically care in the same sense as she had when she had been alive, but she still had enough of her more 'human' side left that she didn't want to destroy Auora's sanity if the vampire's very nature somehow corrupted the connection the asari created when they melded with potential mates.

"You worry too much Arya. I've killed people, tortured a few even; it's what we Eclipse do. Still, that doesn't mean we can't have some fun even if you'd rather not have us join as one and all that crap. We can still fool around like normal folk; it's just more fun when we can share each other's sensations at a very deep level." Auora smirked, but she was curious to see if there would be any ill effects from melding with an undead. She just wasn't brave enough to do it herself was all. "Tell you what, we caught a traitor in our midst the other day. I was planning to shoot her myself but I think I have a better idea."

Arya's red eyes lit up with glee at the idea laid out before her a moment later.

* * *

**2178 CE. March 5th**

**The Woods of Sharp Teeth. The Western Heartlands**

**SSV Hastings, med bay.**

**Preparing for the storm…**

After having gotten her thoughts in order, Alexandria stood and started to search through her armor suit's pockets, finally finding a spare omni-tool that had access to the extranet, same as the one she wore on her right hand. "I knew I had a spare." Giselle wasn't entirely sure what to make of the wire frame device that the human had pulled out, but she soon had a fair idea after Alexandria showed her how to operate the thing.

Omni-tools were all purpose devices that could do quite a bit, especially in the hands of a tech expert. While neither woman would probably ever qualify as one, it was still pretty straight forward enough that even Giselle, a 'backwater local' as some would probably call her, was able to get the hang of the advanced piece of technology that was now strapped to her right hand without interfering with any of her movements of said limb. "Pretty handy, I'll give you that Shepard, but why give this to me?"

"Because there's something that you should know before you agree to help us out here any further. In reality you might have been involved with us too much already, but it involves one of our most basic rules of our ruling government back home and I thought it'd sink in better if you read it for yourself." Giselle nodded as she was directed to a single page that detailed that very rule. The Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact, or the UP3 to be precise.

On the orange holographic display, a window appeared which held the text to one of the Alliance's most basic tenants, and also one of their most important ones considering the fiasco that had resulted in their accidental tampering in the Relay 314 incident. The UP3 read as follows.

_The __**Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact**__, __**UP3**__ for short, is a treaty aimed at protecting planets with civilizations that are not yet fully developed. Alliance laws strictly prohibit contact with such planets and the reason for this is because contact with higher civilizations often greatly influences the path of history of underdeveloped worlds. All citizens and groups belonging to the System Alliance and its Parliament are required to adhere to this treaty, unless there is a clear and present danger to a person's life. This treaty is one of the most important sets of rules in the System Alliance, and delineates how Alliance citizens must act when in contact with an underdeveloped civilization. The UP3 also states that if Alliance personnel interact with people on an underdeveloped planet beyond a certain limit then those individuals must not be allowed to return to their own world but are then brought into the Alliance._

Giselle had to read it twice as the reality of her situation sunk in. She looked to Shepard and back to the omni-tool strapped to her wrist, realizing she was seriously screwed if this was what it seemed like it meant and Shepard's government decided to act on this ruling. "And you didn't tell me this before why exactly?"

"Because as much as I knew about it, our situation at the time demanded I take any help I could get Giselle. I doubt I'd have made it through that mess myself, and my CO had us go on ahead and scout out your world anyway, so it wasn't like I could disobey a direct order, as much as I knew it wasn't in your world's best interest that we kept away just to avoid this from happening." Alexandria countered, sighing heavily since it was one of those, damned if you do damned if you don't situations, and it sucked either way. "I chose the lesser of two evils it seems anyway if the Eclipse have been here for 40 years as evidence would suggest."

"So what happens now then? Do we all have to leave our world because of this merc band's interference, as well as yours I might add?" Giselle snapped back, not liking the idea of suddenly being taken off her world just because of what they had stumbled upon and the fact they had been exposed to far more advanced technology than anything they could have ever dreamed possible before a few days ago.

"We have no idea how many people have actually been exposed to what we're capable of Giselle so it's not that I'd be worried about. No, I'd imagine that the Council will send contact teams and try to smooth things over, as well as see if your world's people would be able to handle being uplifted as a whole." Alexandria countered calmly, trying to put Giselle's obvious aggressive stance and tone at ease. She could understand her anger, but considering the mess they all had chanced upon, Shepard figured there wasn't any other way this could have gone.

"Uplifted? No, hold on, let me look it up." Giselle said before Alexandria could speak again. If she was going to end up stuck out in space with her, she might as well start to get used to the idea that things like this omni-tool were going to be part of her everyday life. Sighing heavily as she muttered angrily under her breath, Giselle's dexterous fingers flew over the holographic keyboard's interface, smiling to herself despite the fact she was still rightfully upset over what she had just learned. If nothing else, she was learning fast, so it made her smile at her own accomplishment with the new device on her hand.

"Here we go. I don't think the definition I'm looking for has anything to do with animals being experimented on so that they have some form of intelligence, so let's skip to the next one…ah here we are." Again she had to read it twice, but the idea of what laid before her wasn't nearly as upsetting as the UP3 had been a moment ago. This at least sounded far better. "So basically what this is saying is that we'd be given a chance to join your galactic society Shepard? That we'd be given a chance to use technology like the ones you brought with you?"

She could see a lot of problems with this whole affair, but the benefits far outweighed the negative of such a thing. They might actually be able to stop killing each other for more than five minutes and even have a chance to become something far greater than what they were now. It'd be a long process she was sure, but given the fact that these Eclipse had been messing around with Toril already, it probably wouldn't matter in the end anyway.

"If everything goes according to plan then yes, but that depends if the talks that are likely to take a while to complete between your leaders and the first real contact teams goes alright of course." She didn't want to mention how the Krogan Rebellions had gone though since according to the history texts, the krogan had similarly been uplifted and because of their war like natures, had nearly went on a rampage across the galaxy. It wasn't until a genetically engineered sterility plague was introduced on their home world and their colonies that they had been put under control once again.

It turned out that Shepard wouldn't have to since the site that Giselle was on happened to have an example or two of past uplifted planets and their natives. The first was the drell who the hanar had saved when their home world of Rakhana underwent massive ecological change for the worst, becoming a lifeless husk of its former self. The other was the before mentioned krogan who had been uplifted to stop another threat called the rachni, who had been a threat to the galaxy before the krogan got out of control themselves after completely crushing the insect like race.

Giselle read all this quietly, only occasionally looking up at Shepard with a strange and indecipherable look on her onyx face. When she was done, she stood once again, having sat back on the log since there was a lot to read and surprisingly enough listen to since some of the information text boxes had an audible option to them. Shepard was worried since Giselle hadn't said anything for almost two hours straight, so it was a relief to hear what was on her mind.

"It's…a lot more to take in than I had thought was possible Shepard. Despite my personal misgivings about what is likely to happen once the leaders of the galactic community….gods that sounds strange coming out of my mouth….sends their teams to try to work out how to fix this situation in one form or another, I still want to learn more. I…just need time to adjust is all, Alexandria." Giselle finally said, earning a relieved smile from the human.

"As you said earlier, I'd be worried if you adjusted right off Giselle." That earned a light hearted grin from the half Drow warrior, sharing the little inside joke they had going for them already.

Giselle's smile disappeared however as she felt her stomach growl, having forgotten all about the fact she hadn't eaten for at least a day and a half at present. She looked up from her new omni-tool and looked to Shepard before speaking again. "I'll keep this with me since even if things don't go as planned, then from your own rules it seems that I'd have to travel with you anyway. Until then, I think I could take a bit of time to eat before diving back into this thing." The holographic display was not visible at that moment as Giselle waved her right hand to indicate the omni-tool, earning a nod from Alexandria as she beckoned her new friend back into the ship.

Giselle quickly learned that marine rations were tasteless at best, but at least they got the job done and provided the sustenance she required. She ignored the looks she was receiving from the other soldiers and staff, focused solely on the food before her until a heavy hand fell on her right shoulder about halfway through her meal in the mess hall. Swallowing what was in her mouth, Shepard's blue eyes fell on the man who was currently leering down at the half Drow. "Do you want to explain to me why you have your hand on my shoulder?"

The guy was in his early thirties and he was the biggest crewmember on the Hastings at about six foot three inches and wide as a brick shit house. Giselle simply stood and stared up at the man's face, her brown eyes holding a fire in them that had the big fellow backing up a step before he realized what he was doing. "Yeah, I didn't think we were taking on pets Commander." The guy said, earning an equally hard glare from Shepard as Giselle smirked in amusement at this idiot's comment.

"Keep talking and I'll raise your voice a couple of octaves." Giselle replied, earning a guffaw from the soldier before her. He was bent over at the waist, his hands on his knees as he tried to regain his composure and take this girl down a couple notches. He never got the chance as Giselle waited for the first strike to fall. She didn't have to wait long as a deceptively quick punch for her stomach came from his right hand which was balled up into a fist that was almost as big as her head.

No one saw the movement as she slipped to the side, grabbed the arm and seemed to flow around the giant of a man as she redirected the flow of his attack, putting enormous strain and pressure on his shoulder as she stopped behind him. He went down with an anguished scream, whimpering like a babe as she held him in place, his arm bent so far that his hand was touching his left shoulder. "I might not look like much, but never underestimate an opponent if you want to live past tomorrow. Do we have an understanding?" To emphasize her point, Giselle jerked the arm back further, earning another scream as the man frantically nodded his head, wanting the pain to stop before she broke his arm for good.

Shepard and the rest of the mess hall were stunned but since she had seen Giselle in action already, she recovered first as she shook her head in amazement at the display of skill. The guy had a reputation of being a hindrance because of that very nature of his, acting superior and even a bully to some who he deemed weaker than himself. To see him so easily put in his place was quite fitting, especially given who had done the deed with barely any effort on her part. She didn't think this would be the last instance he'd need to be shown who was truly in charge, but at least there was more than her willing to stand up to him now.

Giselle let go of the arm and casually sat down again as if nothing happened while the guy she had put down limped away to the med bay, still feeling a deep ache in his wrecked shoulder. The applause was scattered but the ones that had thought it quite impressive were the ones that looked to their new guest with open admiration. It seemed even here Giselle was going to have a fan following. The thought made Shepard smirk. "I didn't overstep my bounds there I hope, but I don't take kindly to idiots and those they think that they are better than everyone else simply because they're the biggest or the strongest or whatever."

"You defended yourself Giselle, nothing more nothing less. I know you could have done a lot more from our run through the Hands of Glory but I wasn't worried for his continued existence, as much as a headache he's been in the past." Giselle nodded to Shepard's words, still a little worried that she might have landed Alexandria in more trouble but at the time she hadn't been thinking of that. She had felt threatened so she had responded in kind, defending herself against the potential threat the guy had represented without a second thought. She could have easily killed him but that definitely would have been more trouble than it was worth, that and it hadn't been needed anyway.

The rest of the day was uneventful with Giselle meeting the rest of the crew, all of them knowing about the Eclipse threat and while most of them were willing to help clear them out, a few such as the captain thought they didn't belong out here and should have long been gone. If not for the repairs that still needed to be done, if it was up to them they probably would have left by then. Even so, the vast majority were willing and it gave hope to Giselle that maybe the rest of the galaxy, if she was forced to leave or she came willingly, wouldn't be so bad if things continued to look up for the most part.

As for the giant among them who had fallen as easily as Goliath had according to one man's comparison that Giselle overheard, he didn't bother her for the rest of the day as she sat in a dark corner of the mess and looked through more of the omni-tool, gathering as much information as she could while they waited for their reinforcements to arrive.

* * *

_The following is a personal entry belonging to Ms. Giselle Do'Urden, current guest of the SSV Hastings, an Alliance military vessel. Current location is the Viper Nebula, Bahak System, Planet Toril._

_Entry 001. Dated 2178, March 5__th__, 7;30 PM._

_A few days ago I did not know that there was life beyond Toril. I did not know that there were countless planets beyond this one that are teeming with life. A few days ago, I was simply worried about stopping a reformed band of assassins from carrying out their nefarious plans in Baldur's Gate, meeting with a contact that knew of their current location, never expecting things to turn as they did. Instead of the simple go in, slay everyone that got in my way, and go out plan with the Grand Duke's daughter I HAD set up in my head, I instead wound up getting entangled with forces beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of._

_Suddenly I'm part of a galactic community that stretches across what they call the Milky Way Galaxy, my home planet being on the south eastern edge of one of the spiral arms of said galaxy. I know all this because I checked our current location on the holo map that dominated part of the CIC while someone else had the map pulled up. To suddenly go from blissful ignorance to knowing without a doubt that you're part of something far bigger….it's harder than I let on to Alexandria Jones Shepard, hero of the Skyllian Blitz, and quite possibly one of the most important allies I've made since all this began. The fact I'm typing instead of writing all this down in the old leather bound diary I keep in my pack is strange enough, but if I am going to be stuck with these people whether I like it or not, then I might as well start getting used to using their technology as fast as I possibly can._

_Which brings me to something else that I want to put down here lest I forget about it later. The UP3 that I was introduced to makes a lot of sense now that I've gotten over the initial shock of what it meant for me. If the Krogan Rebellions are anything to go by, then perhaps it is best if the Alliance simply wipes out the mercs that have put themselves in business on my world and disappeared as quickly as they came since I know not if we are ready for the kind of power these people have at their fingertips. If it's managed appropriately, then perhaps I won't one day return to Toril and find it a barren wasteland scourged by nuclear fire or worse, but the advances they can bring to my world….it is a precarious balance of what we could truly put to the betterment of all here and what could potentially destroy us._

_I know not what the future holds for my world of Toril, or if we will even be allowed to join the universe that is all around us without us even realizing it, but what I do know however is that whatever happens will happen and there will be no stopping it now. We are part of this now, and no matter what others might say or do, there is no going back now. I just hope and pray that we are ready to prove we are better than what we have been in the past._

_If nothing else, there is one thing I know for certain, something I plan to share with Shepard and her mentor if he has ears to listen unlike the current man in charge of this Alliance vessel. If we do go against the Eclipse, then they would be wise to beware any allies they might have made since I suspect that with Marik's involvement, the Zhentarim are intertwined in this as well. If that is the case, then our chances of success might have dropped considerably since they and their Black Network have been a part of Toril since the early days of recorded history. A group like theirs will not go down without a fight, a fact their counterparts, the Harpers, can attest to since the two groups have been at war with each other for ages untold._

_If that is the case however, then the Zhents will have a new reason to fear the darkness since I plan to go against them one way or the other. Given my personal history it makes sense, a fact Alexandria will surely pick up on if I happen to disappear from the Hastings and make my way to the Moonsea on foot if I have to. This isn't because I feel a need to avenge myself against them for what Marik did. This is a strong desire to see them put out of business once and for all because of what they represent and what they do on a regular basis to innocent people. The last time they were in true power, they had designs to drop the Onyx Tower in the middle of Baldur's Gate, only to have it stolen out from under them by a vampire lord named Mordoc SeLanmere, the Grey Prince and the self proclaimed king of all vampires._

_I wouldn't normally consider such a course, but I have a feeling Shepard would follow me to make sure I didn't do anything stupid, and where she went, this David Anderson would likely follow. If it comes to that, that's what I'll be counting on. Otherwise, a unified attack against the Zhentarim will have a greater chance of success, and that is what I'm hoping for._

_To hope for anything less would most likely lead to an early grave._

Shutting down her omni-tool, Giselle sighed heavily and leaned back against the wall she was so close to at that moment. Before she realized it, she had passed out from all the excitement and wouldn't awaken until the morning.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Jarlaxle, Drizzt, Neria, and the rest of Bregan D'aerthe had finally arrived on the edge of the encampment that housed the newcomers to this part of their world. Even Jarlaxle, who had already seen his first true alien and had subsequently executed the bastard yesterday morning, was taken aback by the sight of the massive warship that dominated most of the clearing. The sun had long since set and Neria's feet felt ready to fall off while the two elder adventurers she had ran all this way with seemed slightly tired but were otherwise none the worse for wear.

It annoyed her but she didn't say anything as she collapsed against a tall oak tree and sighed as she stretched out her legs before her, hoping they weren't going to be fighting tonight. She doubted she could have defended herself at that moment, not used to long distance running as the two Drow were by all appearances.

She had to consider that they had been going at this a whole lot longer than anyone currently alive most likely, but it still made her wish that she was better prepared for whatever laid before her. She needed to be on that ship, or at least be prepared for whatever dark future that still hung over their heads. Her heart told her that they were only arranging their pieces; the battle had not been avoided simply by coming here.

She didn't know she had fallen asleep until another dream hit her hard, waking her up with a barely suppressed scream. Luckily Drizzt had decided to sit beside her after talking things over with Jarlaxle for a time, and was just able to put his hand over Neria's mouth before she could alert anyone to their presence. "What did you see?" He asked, his voice a balm against the terror that was clear as day in the young elf maiden's sea green eyes.

Neria's racing heart took some time to calm from the fast gallop of a horse to a slightly fast trot as she took increasingly slow breaths to calm herself further, shivering as if stricken with fever. "It wasn't…prophetic this time….just old wounds. I'm sorry for troubling you Lo…Drizzt." She corrected herself, blushing a little as she looked away, but Drizzt's smile was enough to calm her embarrassment at the almost slip she had let pass her lips.

"Fear not Neria, and get some rest if you can. Jarlaxle's men will keep an eye on us and our fellow guests while we prepare for the morning. We'll try to see if they are as friendly as our mutual friend Alexandria has made them out to be by then." Neria nodded and did as Drizzt suggested, settling in for the night despite her misgivings about being surrounded by Drow on all sides. Before she knew it, Neria was asleep once more, and while her rest was fitful the entire time, she didn't wake up from a horrible nightmare at the very least so when the sun started to rise hours later, she was prepared for a new day.

Or so she thought…

* * *

_A/N In keeping with R.A Salvatore's tradition, I have put up my first diary entry from our current Do'Urden resident, Giselle, using the new omni-tool she has on her right hand. Such entries will become common from here on out and they will likely have insights that would otherwise be unavailable. I hope you enjoy this chapter and any that follow in the days to come. ;D Until then, adios!_


	9. Ch 8 Dissension in the Ranks

_A/N. I had a very good idea come to me out of a review left by Nedy Rahn the other night. While it might take me a bit of finagling to manage it, I think I could easily put it to good use. For some it might seem a little Metal Gear Solid ish but I don't really give a crap lol. Seriously though, again I want to thank everyone here for all of their continued support, both big and small. Let's keep this story going to the bitter end!_

_P.S. There will be the appearance of Reapers vs the very gods of Toril itself. Just thought I'd throw that out there. 'Cue epic fanfare music.' Seriously though, if I do have the gods and goddesses of Toril face off against the Reapers later, MUCH later I might add, it will be some of my longest chapters yet most likely and hopefully some of my best written as well. Until then, let the path these intrepid heroes walk be on their two feet for now with minimal divine interference or intervention. ;D_

* * *

**Chapter 8; Dissension in the Ranks.**

**2178 CE. March 6****th**

**Arcturus Station, Arcturus Stream.**

**SSV Kilimanjaro, CIC**

**Heading to the Bahak System, approaching relay…**

Captain Hannah Shepard had made the call and the higher ups had agreed with her given the reports they were receiving from the furthest reaches of the spiral arms, where of course their old rivals, the batarians, just happened to be setting up a colony several planets away from where Eclipse mercs just happened to be setting up shop as well. It was one too many coincidences for the brass back on Earth, and even the Citadel Council felt obliged to agree, so Hannah Shepard had been ordered to lead the _SSV Kilimanjaro_ to battle if it was necessary.

She didn't look like the leader type, a fact most of her men and women had stated before they had gotten to truly know her as their Captain. She was five foot three inches which made her shorter than most, had soft and slightly sunken cheeks, a round face, and almost dull blue eyes. Even with today's advances in technology, she had always had bad eyesight and required contacts or reading glasses to read the many reports that crossed her desk. Despite this though, there was an unavoidable and charismatic draw to the older woman that demanded respect and encouraged everyone to perform to their best.

Even so, even the most tightly run ship had a few that didn't quite fit even after years aboard, following Shepard's lead in this case. They were the ones that started rumors and in worst case scenarios, destroyed the careers of others or themselves with their angry mutterings and if left unchecked, mutiny was sometimes not far behind.

The fact the Council agreed with anything the humans put forth had been the point of some contention among her crew, but Shepard had put the angry mutterings down quick. She was of the mind that they needed to work together despite their past with their galactic neighbors. It probably helped that some of the men on the 888 kilometer long dreadnought had been on Elysium when the Blitz began, and that their CO happened to be that same woman's mother.

Of course the alien councilors didn't want a war to break out with the batarians, or worse the Terminus Systems as a whole, but considering the major fleet mobilization they had planned against Torfan, it would be a moot point in a few months anyway. The slavers and raiders had it coming for what they did in the Blitz, a fact that was well rewarded in kind thanks to her single and unstoppable daughter, Alexandria Jones Shepard. "Captain? We're nearing the relay. Transit in progress."

Being brought out of her thoughts, Shepard nodded as she ran a hand through her graying black raven hair which was cut close to her shoulders, frowning as she found a few strays having come loose on her. Losing hair already? She shrugged it off though and brushed her hand against her pants, erasing the evidence as best she could. It was barely a concern, but it still annoyed her a bit as she focused on the nearing mass relay before them. She held no allusions about seeing her daughter for more than a few minutes, if that, but knowing she was at least close at hand would do her old heart some good as her blue eyes focused solely on the relay before them.

A dreadnought might have been considered overkill anywhere else, but something about all this seemed like it was appropriate. Mercs building up an army on a foreign world they knew nothing about? That's what it sounded like to the brass, and Shepard had been quick to agree since it just seemed like there was no other reason for whatever was happening down there. It stunk of something far bigger to the old veteran who had somehow been blessed with a daughter that surpassed all expectations at an incredibly young age.

A mother couldn't have been happier as Hannah Shepard felt about her own flesh and blood.

On the other hand, the price for such pride and joy for her young was countered by the enormous losses suffered by the people on Elysium. If not for Alexandria, Hannah and everyone else knew that the losses would have been far more, but her heart went out to those that yet lived since she knew what it was like to lose people, civilians and her men alike. It was never easy, regardless of the color of your blood you happened to have within. Even the batarians deserved better than what they got normally since it was a little known fact that their government constantly poured out propaganda designed to push for xenophobia on a grand scale.

Even so, it didn't change their mandate or their reasons for fighting. If it meant that peace was kept then they'd crush anything that was on that planet that so much as looked at the Alliance the wrong way. Forty years they had been there so far, doing who knew what and from the reports they were receiving, it looked like this branch of the Eclipse were gearing up for something big. If that was the case then they needed to hit them hard and fast before they managed to strike first.

There was more to it of course than simply stopping these Eclipse mercenaries and whatever allies they had down there. The other reports detailing some of the locals was…hard to believe for good reason. Creatures that could regenerate no matter how much damage you did to them, people with pointy ears, (among other unique features,) and carrying around medieval weaponry and able to use some kind of energy that took the form of…dare she even think it, magic?

There was the matter of Doctor Chakwas's report that disturbed some of the brass as well since it seemed that the subject's nervous system had a similar set up that matched a biotic potential's own, except as her notes had included, there wasn't a trace of element zero in the woman's body. So how was this Giselle Do'Urden able to manifest a blast of frost from her bare hand as her daughter explained in her report? It shouldn't have been possible, but Hannah didn't for one second believe that her daughter was lying or had been given something to cause her to hallucinate or anything of the sort.

To top it off, there was the flagrant disregard of the UP3. There was fault on both the Captain's part and those he had sent out to investigate, but Hannah had to make the comparison to turians who would obey a bad order even though most would complain about it since she was sure that Alexandria had done the same.

Hannah knew that she had gone on record behind her captain's back and had lodged a formal complaint against the order for that very reason, but given the distance from Earth where the Alliance's leaders were located, it would have taken several days for any official inquiry to be launched and more to send anyone to investigate further, yet adding more urgency to their own mission.

She, unlike most of the people in charge, was willing to go on a little faith and let her own eyes and ears be the judge for whatever was going on. Still, she'd have to bring back cold hard proof that couldn't be refuted, and that was why Staff Commander David Anderson, her second in command, was with her. He was one of their best soldiers, a man that was firm yet fair and who didn't have a closed off mind which would help in Hannah's opinion, at least she hoped anyway.

"I wouldn't have believed those reports if it was anyone else Shepard." The slightly younger, to her anyway, commander said, earning a brief nod from the captain since that was one thing they could agree on. "Something about this feels off, but I doubt it has anything to do with your girl unlike what the folks back home believe."

"You noticed it too. From what the reports we've received from both the Captain of the Hastings and his second in command, we seem to be getting two different takes of the same story. Thankfully it seems we have the reluctant agreement of the brass to send us in to make sure that if there is a threat, we're in a position to handle it as quickly as possible." They had no idea of enemy strength in any regard, and given the strange reports about the locals they had been receiving, the Alliance didn't want to take any chances with this one, the batarians be damned.

Anderson crossed his arms over his chest and wondered, and not for the first time, what it was about the Shepards that instilled such loyalty in everyone they came across? He had known Alexandria since she enlisted and had kept in close contact with the young spitfire, even letting her tag along for one of his recent missions after the Blitz. He hadn't seen a finer soldier, and just like Hannah, Alexandria had proven herself a capable if reluctant leader. Still, nobody was perfect, his marriage or recent lack there of was proof of that.

He didn't dwell on it though as he spoke once more. "I almost wonder if we have more to worry about than a few Eclipse mercs and whatever allies they have on hand. It wouldn't be the first time we've had corruption in our own ranks Shepard, but if that's the case then we need proof before we can make any formal arrests."

"I hate to admit but I was thinking along the same lines. It sounded like from both my daughter and the captain's reports that there's dissension in the ranks, and this isn't my motherly pride talking but I'm more inclined to believe that it's the captain that's a little too eager to leave before we get there to investigate fully." Shepard replied, earning a solemn nod from her counterpart who hated to admit it but it had happened before. If the Eclipse had gotten to one of their own, then they needed to see how far his influence went since it could very well mean half the ship would be willing to pick up arms against their own. If that happened there would be a blood bath on their hands even before they got to the real threat, whatever that happened to be.

* * *

**2178 CE. March 6th**

**The Woods of Sharp Teeth. The Western Heartlands**

**SSV Hastings, mess hall.**

**New orders….**

Giselle woke up with a start, feeling sore from having fallen asleep in the mess hall, or at least she had been in the mess hall when she had passed out. Now however she was in one of the strange pod things she had seen during the tour of the ship and quickly found the lid wouldn't open. "Great." She muttered darkly to herself. Maybe she just wasn't doing it right? She had no idea how to operate the thing so that was probably the reason why she couldn't get it to open up. Somehow she didn't think that was the reason since there was no lights, no holographic switches popping up, nothing.

Someone had locked her inside and thrown away the key, but they hadn't anticipated her being able to escape after they had locked her in here.

She had been bone tired after everything she had been through of late, otherwise Giselle was sure she wouldn't have been so easy to move and locked in this sleeper pod as her omni-tool identified it to be after she managed to find a way to scan the damn thing. It even gave her a possible structural weakness to exploit.

She calmed herself after taking several deep breaths, glad that they hadn't been able to lock down the air pumping into the pod, otherwise she'd have been in trouble already most likely. She needed a calm mind to spellcast. Unlike her brother Seth, she was no true mage so it took her a little more effort to use anything mystical in her limited repertoire of spells.

Luckily whoever had locked her in this thing hadn't taken away her belt pouch full of spell components. Remembering the ice spell she had used the other day meant that she didn't have the components for that particular spell anymore, so she'd have to come up with something else. Again luck was on her side since she could see her sword belt with her twin scimitar blades tucked away behind the row of sleeper pods that were in front of this one. Whoever had put her in here hadn't thought of a better place than that? Oh this was going to be fun.

She'd have to be extremely careful though since what she planned to do would put her in line of her own telekinesis spell since she planned to 'pull' her sharper of the two swords out of the belt and pull it towards the pod at high speed, hopefully slicing through the locking mechanism. If she missed she ran the risk of impaling herself at worst, or missing her intended target at best. Either outcome didn't bode well for Giselle.

A thought crossed her mind then. If she was in here against her will, then what was going on out there? Was it possible this was part of a greater insidious plan? No, she couldn't entertain those thoughts now. She had to get out of here first and foremost, and then she could worry about the rest later.

Again she had to take a minute to calm her racing thoughts before she lifted her left hand slightly and started to incant, aiming for her sword belt the whole time. She watched with pure focus stamped on her face as her sword belt started to move. It slid a little across the metal floor before the blade she wanted slipped free of its sheath. She didn't react to the success since it was still too early to celebrate.

Her belt pouches were getting lighter as the spell took effect, but Giselle paid it little to no mind as she 'turned' the blade to point at her pod. She only had one shot at this. Her ears twitched slightly as she heard approaching footsteps, but she couldn't stop now. She didn't react even as the man she had easily beaten down stopped in front of her pod, looking quite pissed with one of their weapons in his right hand. She winked and only then did he turn around and just happened to start running for his superior before the sword impaled him through the chest and sliced through the lock on the pod at the same time.

The pistol that was in his right hand as the pod opened up and let Giselle out was all the evidence she needed to know that something bad was in the works. No one she had seen on the ship yesterday had drawn their weapons for any reason, even when she had beaten down the now dead 'Goliath' although if she had pressed further she was sure that someone might have tried to take a shot at her.

Pulling the lid of the sleeper pod closed, Giselle casually pulled her blade free, letting the man drop to the deck, never to rise again. She needed to figure out what was going on before she got herself in too deep. If there was a mutiny in the works, she needed to try to help whoever was with Shepard before, and if, it wasn't too late already.

Going to the other row of sleeper pods, Giselle picked up her sword belt but not before cleaning her sword she had used to free herself and kill off one of the traitors in one fell swoop. Slipping it back home where it belonged, the half Drow looked around for several seconds until she found a ventilation shaft and slipped inside, hoping she'd be able to help whoever was left that hadn't turned rogue.

* * *

**2 hours ago.**

Alexandria Shepard had not been a part of any mutiny, but she had heard horror stories about them from passing freighter crews. They normally tended to happen when they were in deep space far from any aid or outside interference. Sometimes the mutineers expected help from pirate or merc allies if there were traitors among the crew as it seemed was the case this time around after waking up to a gun being pointed in her face this morning.

Anyone else would have panicked, but soldiers like Alexandria were hard to come by as she glared daggers at her former Captain. "Why am I not surprised this would be the wake up call I'd get today?" She asked with venom clear in her voice as she saw the Captain wasn't alone, seeing the giant and several others with guns pointed on their respective crewmembers.

Dr. Chakwas was also glaring coldly at the men she had treated and some she had even called friend over the course of her posting here, only to be returned in kind by their traitorous response. "Why? Why turn on the Alliance?" She asked, more angry than afraid as those that were obviously loyal to the captain got the rest of the crew herded to the med bay before the doors were locked, but not before everyone was stripped of any potential gear that could aid them in their escape.

"Guess he's not willing to talk." Alexandria said, earning a few nods from those that were locked in with her. Out of the three dozen, it seemed that only twenty were truly loyal to the System Alliance, so that meant that there were still sixteen, including the Captain, which were rogue. It wasn't bad odds in Shepard's opinion, especially since she didn't see Giselle among their number. She had no doubt that Giselle would help them when she got out of whatever situation she happened to be in.

In the meantime, Alexandria went to work with what she had which were the rest of the ship's crew. "As soon as those doors open, and they will open, we'll need to hit the armory fast and hard, but along the way if you see an opportunity to get any armor or weapons from the traitors, then do so. We don't know what the Captain has planned so arm up as quickly as possible and form up into squads. Doctor Chakwas, is there any other way out of here?"

"Yes, a ventilation shaft in the back, underneath one of the beds." Karin replied, leading the commander to the designated location. They had to unbolt the examination table from the floor first, a design flaw most likely when the Hastings was first constructed, but eventually they had access to the shaft, just as Chakwas said there would be. "I never thought we'd need it to escape."

"Well it seems whoever put it here had the right idea." Alexandria replied, glad she was just small enough to be able to fit through the shaft's entrance. She was about to disappear further into the shafts that ran about the ship but Chakwas stopped her.

"Wait Commander, are you sure it's a good idea to go?" Karin was worried for her safety more than her own, hoping that Alexandria would be ok out there, but she knew it was either one of them take the chance to get aid or they'd be stuck in the ship until help arrived, IF it arrived in time.

"I'll be fine doctor, just make sure you stay out of the danger zone as much as possible. Still, thanks." Alexandria replied, glad that someone was looking out for her in this mess. She had no idea where she was going since she didn't have any way to see where the vents lead off to, but if her memory of the ship's layout was anything to go by; she might be able to reach the bottom deck if she was careful.

If she managed that, then hopefully she'd be able to load up on armor and weaponry to help take back the SSV Hastings in the name of the System Alliance. If at all possible, she planned to capture as many of the traitors as she could, if for no better reason than to get some answers and to spare anyone that was willing to surrender.

It took her several long minutes crawling about the shafts to even find one that ran at a downward slope inside the Hastings, and it took her several more to find a way to the docking bay and the armory itself. There were only three men that she could see but she could hear several more milling about. Well shit, there went that plan. There were far too many for her to take on alone, but looking up when she heard a noise ahead of her, Alexandria's blue eyes met two brown glowing orbs right in front of her.

Giselle clamped her hand over Shepard's mouth to stifle the gasp of surprise but nodded to show she was with her as she let her hand fall away from the human's face. "I counted seven on the way here."

"There are sixteen against our twenty. There's seven here at the least. Just like the Guild Hall." Alexandria's blue eyes shone intently on the room below them and Giselle just shook her head in amusement. No guns between them or armor to defend against mass accelerator rounds, yet they were both in silent agreement that the odds were in their favor. Anyone else wouldn't have been so eager to attack with so few advantages on their side. Well, few known advantages anyway.

"Oh I think the odds are slightly more in our favor." Giselle replied, grinning wickedly as the lights went out in the docking bay. Or rather, there was now an orb of impenetrable darkness right below the two women that hadn't been there a second ago. Alexandria didn't know how Giselle did it but the half Drow had since opened the grate and had slipped in the room below. What followed was a series of quickly cut off cries of pain and the sound of blades going through flesh and bone with only a few shots from the two soldiers by the door before shots rang out of the orb of darkness. The two men crumpled silently, never to rise again.

The darkness orb disappeared, revealing what was left of the five men that had been only a few seconds ago been full of life, now were scattered about the docking bay with obvious sword slashes decorating their bodies. Giselle stood with two pistols drawn and pointed at the two she had fired upon, not a mark on her that Alexandria could see. Throwing the weapons to the side, Giselle shook her head and said. "So uncivilized."

"Try telling that to them." Alexandria said as she jumped down out of the vent and landed on her feet with some difficulty, mostly because her feet slipped on the blood that had been spilled on the floor but she had managed to keep herself upright. "How'd you drop the lights anyway?"

Cleaning her swords once more, using one of the traitors' clothes to do it, Giselle looked to the human and shrugged as she explained. "Because I'm half Drow, I got some of their innate abilities. One of them involves being able to drop a globe of darkness that nothing can see through, no matter how strong your eyesight happens to be or how strong a light source might be. There are ways to dispel it, a powerful enough flash of light or simple dispel magics, but most people just try to get out from under such an orb as quickly as possible."

It made sense, and Alexandria had seen for herself just how effective such a tactic could prove to be. It was another reason why she wasn't keen on going against Jarlaxle and his merry men if all Drow were able to do that. What else was Giselle capable of? Blind fighting seemed to be a learned skill rather than something innate, but she could be wrong. "Why didn't you do that before in the Hands of Glory base?"

Giselle was just putting her swords away but stopped cold as she turned to Shepard. It was clear she had an issue with her darker side from the words she spoke next. "Because Shepard, it's a coward's way to fight, skulking about in the dark, and I only did it here because there was no other choice in the matter, not unless we wanted to die for nothing."

Alexandria met Giselle's intense gaze, not about to back down as she watched the older woman put her swords back in their respective sheaths on her hips. "I'm guessing there's more to this tale like the last one with Marik, so until this situation's resolved, I won't press for details Giselle,"

"But you expect answers at some point." Giselle returned, sighing heavily as she looked away. It was one of the few times she ever broke a deadlock stare with anyone, but something about Alexandria made even her want to follow rather than lead in the human's presence. "Fine, but I'm hoping with how busy we'll be after this is cleared up, you'll forget about it." It was unlikely but Giselle could hope right?

Alexandria shook her head, knowing that she was probably right but Shepard didn't plan to forget. For the moment she went to her locker and found that her gear was where she had left it the night before. She sighed in relief and immediately started to gear up for battle, slipping back into her armor and prepping her weapons when that was done. Everything seemed to be in order as she prepared her Terminator Assault Rifle, still loaded with the polonium ammo mod. Giselle watched Alexandria's movements closely, not entirely sure she wanted to start dressing up like these humans just yet, but if the need arose she still kept mental notes on how everything worked.

The details she'd get later, if she survived that long anyway. Searching the dead, Shepard found her old omni-tool and put it back on her right hand. One of the slain men had had it on their person, which was lucky for the Commander. They'd need every advantage they could get in this mess.

At least now their odds stood far better with eight down and eight to go, but the rest had surely discovered the dead giant by now and that Giselle had slipped free. As if to prove her point, Giselle and Alexandria saw that the doors to the elevator were opening and were currently unloading three more, heavily armored and armed soldiers into the docking bay. The two women looked to each other and split, each going in a different direction as shots started to fill the area where they had once been.

Alexandria took position behind the Mako, using the armored vehicle as cover while Giselle had disappeared seemingly into thin air once more. One look up and she could see the half Drow had gotten up in the upper struts of the docking bay. Clever girl. How she got up there was another question altogether but Alexandria wasn't going to complain.

Activating her omni-tool's short range communications, Shepard popped out of cover and laid down suppressing fire, forcing the three traitor marines to duck for cover among the cargo crates and anything else they could hide behind. "See if you can get behind them Giselle. If we can get them in crossfire we might have a chance."

Giselle hadn't expected her omni-tool to start talking to her, but then again maybe she shouldn't have been surprised as Shepard came up with a plan on the fly. Another admirable quality to have in a leader, but those thoughts were for later as the half Drow looked to the struts she was on and mentally plotted a path as quickly as possible before setting her mental processes into motion.

The gunfight below didn't interrupt Giselle's attention in the least as she nimbly scaled the narrow beams and pipes that were above the battlefield. If she had kept those pistols she might have been able to use them to lay waste to these three traitors from above, but now was not the time to complain.

Alexandria didn't look up once after confirming that Giselle had gotten up there. She hadn't seen any dark skinned sword bearing warriors fall from the ceiling so she hadn't been spotted yet. Keeping up the pressure, Alexandria saw a nearby fire extinguisher. Laying down a stream of green sand particles, the extinguisher exploded, shrouding the area with the coolant that lay within the shredded metal husk and thus blinding the three soldiers for a few seconds. It was more than she needed as Alexandria prepped a grenade and threw it to the far right.

The man didn't know it was there until it was far too late. Giselle had luckily chosen the far left to drop down as the explosive went off, leaving a scorching crater where once had been a man. The man that Giselle landed behind was too stunned by the smoking crater to realize he had company until his neck was slit from ear to ear, but before he could fall; Giselle put the soldier in front of her and stripped him of his gun. Using the dead soldier as a shield, the half Drow fired the soldier's weapon on the last of the three, shredding through his kinetic barriers, armor, and the flesh underneath in rapid succession.

Tossing the man to the side, Giselle looked to Alexandria as she came out of hiding from behind the armored tank. "That's five left now, and I'm sure if I was the traitorous captain, he has likely taken hostages to negotiate his way to safety. If I was in his shoes it's what I'd do after losing so many men in such a short time."

As if to prove her point, the elevator came back down again, this time loaded with what was left of the captain's men and several hostages held at gunpoint. One of them was Doctor Chakwas. Giselle clenched her fists tightly at the obvious tactics used by this weasel of a man, but she wasn't going to risk harm to any innocent bystanders. Neither was Alexandria as she kept her gun up but didn't fire, not about to take a chance that if she missed she'd end up hitting one of the hostages. Besides, there were too many people that did have guns that even if she had gotten a clear shot, a lot of innocent people would end up dead.

"Drop it Shepard! Tell your knife eared bitch to drop her weapons as well or these people are going to die!" The captain shouted, beyond frothing at the mouth by appearances as Shepard reluctantly put her gun on the deck. Giselle's brown eyes flared with rage but she let her sword belt fall to the ground as well.

"You can't hope to get out of here captain. We're on a strange planet, far from home, and far from any known allies. Your traitors are dead, and if you don't play this right you're going to follow them. Enough life has been lost here today." Shepard replied, surprisingly calm and Giselle could swear she was trying to calm the captain down as if she was talking to a wild beast. The odd thing was it seemed to be working as some of the obvious insanity induced rage was starting to bleed off from the captain's body and stance.

"Shut up…open the door Shepard and let me pass. Try to follow and I'll order my remaining men to open fire. Don't make me do it." No one could say she hadn't tried as Alexandria slowly backed up and went for the docking bay door controls. Giselle was half tempted to forget what she had said earlier and drop a globe of darkness and see how many she could take apart, but the fact the hostages were so close stopped her from doing that.

Alexandria looked down and saw one of the cast off pistols from earlier, and she too was tempted to make a grab for it and see how many she could kill. But like Giselle, Shepard again stopped herself from risking the health and well being of the hostages. Instead she let the ramp unfold and hit the ground as the docking bay opened fully, allowing the captain to leave. "Don't think this is over."

The man stopped briefly and said something that made Alexandria wonder what was in store for them later. "Even if I fall, you haven't won Shepard. Change is coming and there's nothing that you can do to stop it. Move!"

Watching them leave, Giselle and Alexandria both stood side by side, glaring daggers at the man and his four remaining soldiers as they departed for the wilds. "You sure you want to take your chances with the trolls out there?" Giselle asked, smirking as she crossed her arms over her chest.

That got the traitorous dog to stop just as he was getting his feet firmly on the ground before him. The rest of the group stopped as well, knowing the stories that had been told after Shepard had come back, minus the two men she had taken with her. They weren't so eager to go into those woods, and both Alexandria and Giselle could see it. "Do you know how trolls reproduce?"

Alexandria knew from firsthand experience, having seen the bastards in action, but she knew that the rumors that had been circulating the ship had misinterpreted things quite a bit. "If you get lost out there and run out of food and supplies, people will eat just about anything. If you're unfortunate enough to get your hands on a piece of troll flesh and consume it, you'll find out soon enough why that's a very bad idea as a new troll grows inside your stomach before eating its way out. Of course, normally they just cut off each other's limbs and watch as a new troll appears out of the severed mass, unless some idiot soldier shreds them to pieces with their fancy weaponry. Each piece of a troll that's cut off or blown off becomes itself a new troll given enough time."

The fear Giselle had planted among their ranks was starting to turn to full blown terror until the captain spoke once more. "But Shepard came back and told us how to kill them. If she can do it, so can we." His men weren't so certain but at least he had started to turn the tide back against the knife eared bitch. He had started to regain control, but it was Shepard's turn.

"Actually I'm not sure if those polonium rounds worked as well as I thought. There was a lot going on at the time and we were running for our lives until we hit the edge of the forest." Shepard had caught on to what Giselle had been trying to accomplish and smirked as she too crossed her arms under her chest, finding some enjoyment in the psychological warfare they had started. Traitors were universally cowards in most cases, and it seemed their obvious wholesale slaughter and the threat of the unknown out in those woods was helping to turn the tide against them.

"Screw this captain, I ain't following you into that deathtrap just for your promise of wealth from those Eclipse mercs." One of his men said and the sentiment seemed to be universal as the rest of the captain's men started to say the same thing before dropping their guns and standing behind Shepard and Giselle a moment later, looking quite ashamed for what they had been doing.

"No…I am not going down alone! If I go down I'm taking you with me!" No one was fast enough to stop the captain as he pulled his own sidearm and immediately took aim at Shepard. Giselle knew what was happening but she couldn't cross the distance in time to disarm him, but she wasn't about to let him shoot Shepard either.

She didn't know if Shepard's kinetic barriers would protect her enough or not, she didn't know if her armor would block the shot or not, all she knew was that Shepard was in danger and she was the only one that was close enough to make sure she survived.

Time slowed down as the gun went off, just as several of the former captives tackled the captain to the ground and pulled his gun away. Shepard didn't have time to react as Giselle stopped in front of her before collapsing to the ground, a bullet hole in her stomach and it was clear a second later the bullet had gone out the back. "SHIT! Doctor Chakwas! Don't you dare die on me Giselle!"

The four men that were left were hustled along to be tied up in engineering for now while several more gathered Karin's necessary supplies while helping to move Giselle to the med bay, about the same time a small army of more black skinned warriors seemed to appear out of nowhere as they ascended the ramp, having heard the gunshot. Before anyone could react further, Shepard stopped her men from doing anything rash as she recognized Jarlaxle Baenre and Drizzt Do'Urden among them. "Hold fire! They're allies…I think."

Jarlaxle would have normally grinned since he knew that had been in reference to him and his men, but one look at the scene before them was enough to stop them cold. Drizzt tried to barrel past since that was his daughter being carried away to gods knew where but Jarlaxle, Shepard, and several of their respective soldiers stopped the man before he could interfere. "She's in good hands Drizzt, I promise she WILL survive this." Shepard said as their eyes met. He stopped trying to break free, being able to only nod solemnly, but said nothing in return.

"What happened here anyway Shepard? Seems to me that you guys had all the fun." Jarlaxle said, trying to lighten the mood a bit and to get some answers, both for his own sake as well as his friend whose only daughter was being taken care of by he assumed the ship's resident healer.

"Help me clean up this lot and I'll tell you all about it." Alexandria replied, hoping that keeping Drizzt occupied until word came down from the med bay would keep his mind off things. Jarlaxle meanwhile spoke to his men and got them to secure the perimeter, making sure that no one would be getting in or out without them knowing about it.

The captain was tied up with the rest of the prisoners while things were put back to order. Coming out with several capsule like devices which turned out to be their version of a coffin as it unfolded and became six foot long, three foot wide metal caskets, the bodies of the dead were quickly disposed of and the docking bay and sleeper pod were cleaned up quickly. Despite being traitors, they still honored their dead by at least burying them if nothing else, although it was likely that they'd be blasted out into space and aimed at the closest star.

Being associated with traitors even in a familial sense of the word was not good for the families of such people, and often times they didn't want to ever see their sons or daughters who had partaken in such practices dead or alive again.

Neria had since joined them and like Jarlaxle and Drizzt, was quickly filled in with what was going on, after she got past the fact she was standing inside a very peculiar metal ship with equally strange people milling about. The urgency of the situation as it was explained helped to alleviate some of her culture shock but it'd return in full force later.

"Show me this captain that started this Shepard." Was the only thing Drizzt said, and despite her better judgment, Alexandria stood from the box she had pulled up for herself after everyone had taken seats around the docking bay.

"We need him alive so he can answer for his crimes, can you at least promise you won't kill him if I agree to this?" Drizzt nodded since he didn't plan to do the bastard any permanent injury, he just had some questions was all…for the most part.

"Jarlaxle, bring Kimmeriul. I think we'll need his expertise to see what this man knows." Jarlaxle's earlier mood disappeared as the mercenary grinned before going to retrieve his psionist. Meanwhile Drizzt and Alexandria went to engineering, Shepard having a very good idea about what was going to happen here. If the captain didn't talk, Drizzt planned to use Kimmeriul's unique talents to get the information by force.

She couldn't blame him for wanting answers, but she wasn't so sure she agreed with the idea that he was willing to use force…of a sort to get the answers he wanted, that they all wanted really. Going down the ramp and through the door that opened the moment the four were near it, Shepard lead the way to the men that were left after the failed attempt to flee by force. "That one." She pointed towards the one they were after.

The captain had his hands tied behind his back, having been stripped to the bare basics since he had lead the mutiny, and so if he survived the trip back which was looking less likely by the minute now, he wouldn't be in his dress blues but stuck in civilian clothing, a clear mark of shame among the Alliance. "Great, three more knife ears, what are you playing at Shepard?"

Before Alexandria could say anything, Drizzt had since grabbed the coward by the front of his shirt and lifted him to eye level. "Look me in the eyes you poor excuse for a man and tell me why you shot my daughter?! Was it for money?!" A nasty headbutt broke the captain's nose which started to bleed profusely. "For power?!" A knee to the groin had the former leader screaming as pain lanced through his nervous system before he was tossed to the ground, coming to a stop at Alexandria's feet. "Why would you throw this away?!"

"He got greedy!" One of the survivors shouted just as Drizzt was getting ready to start in again on the downed man who was still in a great deal of pain from the quick and effective beating he had received. Drizzt snapped his gaze on the young man that had spoken. Jarlaxle had since stopped Kimmeriul's approach, interested to see where this went. It was rare that the ranger was taken by such passionate rage, but even in his current state it seemed there was some control to the disciplined warrior since anyone else wouldn't have stopped most likely.

"Explain quickly young man, I'm not sure he'll stop next time." Jarlaxle cheerfully replied, earning a glare from Drizzt but the mercenary ignored it.

"He approached us a month ago, telling us of a plan to take over the Alliance with new allies from this world. At first we didn't believe it, but before we got Shepard he took us out this way after a supply drop to a base out in the asteroid fields here in the Bahak system. We saw things here that made it seem possible that there might be a chance to make things different, so we threw in our lot with him." Shepard, Neria, and Drizzt were quick to catch on, but Jarlaxle had long since expected something of the sort.

"Guess that explains why there's a force already gathering at Dragonspear Castle. They plan to sweep up and down the Heartlands and the Sword Coast before making to move onward to the rest of Toril. Once they've secured this planet, they most likely plan to do the same to your System Alliance." Jarlaxle explained which made Shepard wonder if it was possible. With the Eclipse supplying ships, weapons, armor, and supplies, if they made allies with the batarians or even the Terminus Systems as a whole, they'd have an unstoppable force on their hands, especially if they dropped a legion of trolls and who knew what else on a world that had no idea how to handle them.

Leaving the captain lay where he had dropped, Shepard shook her head at the mad if possible scheme that had been put into motion as she raised the communications officer. "Get on the horn and get a hold of anyone that's close to the Bahak system."

"We don't have to; the _SSV Kilimanjaro_ is in orbit and dropping shuttles as we speak Commander." Shepard's blue eyes opened wide in surprise at the news her mother had came around already, which meant that Anderson was likely with her. She had expected another frigate, maybe even a cruiser, but a full on dreadnought? That was surprising but given the situation, it was also quite perfect. Someone was looking out for them.

"Friends of yours Shepard?" Jarlaxle asked, earning a smile from Alexandria since that was the understatement of the century. "Very good friends then?"

"My mother is bringing in the cavalry. We might just have a chance before things get rough."

"Good. If you're as capable as you've proven here Alexandria Shepard, then we have more than a chance to drive these Eclipse back from whatever Abyss they crawled out of." Drizzt replied, earning a nod from Neria since she didn't plan to stand by the sidelines if she could help it. Jarlaxle just grinned a little wider under his wide brim hat he wore.

"Excuse me Commander? We've managed to stabilize Giselle. She's resting comfortably and should make a full recovery in the next few days." Chakwas's voice interrupted anymore planning as Jarlaxle, Neria, and Drizzt all went for the elevator at the same time. She followed since she knew they wouldn't immediately know how to make it work and got the slow piece of crap heading to the appropriate floor. She hated the elevator since she was sure someone had purposely set it to the slowest speed they could get away with.

At least Giselle was going to be ok. Despite all the trouble they had gotten into today things could have been a lot worse. Shepard was quite glad she had chosen to bring Giselle back despite what her captain had said about it later. Now it made sense though as to why he had wanted to leave. He hadn't wanted to end up tied up in this mess until it was too late to stop him. He could have found his way to the Parliament itself and assassinated the lot of them if things had gone his way or had one of his new allies do it for him. Either way, it could have been disastrous.

Once they reached the correct floor at last, everyone piled out and Shepard led the group towards the med bay where two guards stood by Karin's office, giving the doctor protection she insisted she didn't need. It made Shepard smile but she told the men to stay since it was better to be safe than sorry after what had happened earlier, much to the doctor's slight embarrassment but she didn't have it in her to argue the point further.

"Doctor Chakwas, I'd like you to meet a few friends of mine. Neria Zathrieal, Jarlaxle Baenre, and Drizzt Do'Urden." Drizzt stepped up and held out his hand to the older woman, and Karin smiled warmly as she shook the Drow's hand firmly in her own before anyone could do anything else.

"I owe you my thanks for helping my daughter as you have, Doctor Chakwas."

"If not for her and Commander Shepard, we wouldn't be here now having this conversation. It's me that should be thanking you for raising such a strong young woman." Chakwas replied, noticing that the man's cheeks seemed to become a shade darker if that was possible as their hands fell back to their respective sides. "I do ask that you keep your voices down and try not to excite her too much. It was a near thing. If she had been anymore to the left at the time the gun went off, the shot would have possibly severed her spine at worst, or punctured a major artery at best."

"Again you have my thanks. I know not how I can ever thank you enough for this." Karin waved him off and Shepard kept Jarlaxle and Neria back so that those two could have some time alone for now. Beckoning for Jarlaxle and Neria to follow her, Shepard led the two to the mess hall for now where things seemed to be in full swing. Breakfast had been missed so everyone was having a hearty and full sized lunch to compensate.

After getting situated with trays of food set before them, both Jarlaxle and Neria both eyed the military rations with some distaste. "It's not as bad as it looks, trust me." Shepard chuckled since she had taken some getting used to the food that was served on most Alliance ships. It had everything the body needed perhaps but the taste was something to be desired at best.

Beggars couldn't be choosers.

* * *

Drizzt meanwhile was sitting by Giselle's bed in a darkened corner of the med bay, glad that there was a sheet covering the worst of the damage even though there was a hefty sized bandage wrapped around his girl's lower waist. How many times had he seen old allies and friends in such a state? It never got easier to bear, especially when it was your own flesh and blood. To make matters worse, the bastard that had shot her had used what Chakwas explained was a poison round in simple terms.

The technical term had been polonium, a much higher yield than what Shepard had packed in her own weapon which meant that the effects would have been fast if not for the good doctor's intervention. The good news had been that it had passed clean through, but it had still lingered just long enough to leave enough of the polonium behind to poison Giselle's entire system which would have quickly spread and killed her if left untreated.

"I must admit that I'm truly impressed by your skill. Even some of the best healers I know wouldn't have been as successful with a wound such as this." Drizzt quietly commented, earning a small smile from the doctor to have her skills so highly praised.

"I took an oath when I first became a doctor to treat the wounded and the sick, no matter which side they happened to be on or what their race happened to be. I was never suited for the quiet life in some planetside hospital, so I enlisted to see the stars and to hear the tales that soldiers are fond of telling. I was a bit of a romantic in my youth." Karin replied in kind, earning a chuckle from Drizzt since he hadn't expected to see the spirit of adventure in a doctor of all people. But he was glad she had chosen her path as she had.

"The lure of the road it seems has no discrimination about who it chooses to lead away from the safety of home. A few days ago I wouldn't have thought any of this possible, but recent events have forced me to reassess what I thought I knew. Despite this, I am glad to see that we are not alone out here. The thought that we were the only life anywhere among the countless lights in the night sky was terrifying for me to consider."

"We shared a similar sentiment before we found our way out amongst those same stars Drizzt, although for some, the thought of life beyond our own world also terrified some of us since we weren't sure they'd be friendly." Drizzt could understand the reason behind such a fear since the fear of the unknown kept many people locked away in their homes, never willing to stray too far from their place of origins. For some however, the unknown attracted people such as him and his daughter to explore and to expand their horizons at every opportunity.

"Are you going to keep on talking amongst yourselves for the rest of the day by chance?" A new voice interrupted their talk, making both the doctor and the Drow turn their heads to see Hannah Shepard flanked by Alexandria and several of her personal guard. Drizzt could see the resemblance quite well between daughter and mother as he stood and bowed at the waist in the utmost respect as Chakwas gave a crisp salute even if she wasn't a soldier.

"At ease, both of you." The older Shepard smiled, entering the med bay and taking a seat across from the father to the woman that had helped save quite a few lives. "I wanted to see the one that had helped put this mutiny at rest. I can see where she gets her strength from."

"Indeed. Giselle has been a tremendous help, but Alexandria also acted with distinction and courage in the face of uncertain odds. I wonder where she gets it from." Karin replied, earning a light hearted chuckle from Hannah as Alexandria looked elsewhere, trying to hide the blush that started to cover her cheeks.

"You've made a fine warrior out of her Lady Shepard. Her actions here today proved that many times over." Drizzt replied as he held out his hand which was quickly grasped by Hannah herself, both seeming to silently recognize the other as equals in their respective ways.

"As have you Mr. Do'Urden if what my daughter says about your own is anything to go by. The evidence alone speaks for itself from what the crew and the scenes of the battle played out here have told me. I would never want to meet you as an enemy if you managed to board my ship."

"If you're quite done Captain Shepard, there's a lot to do before we're out of the clear yet." Alexandria was quick to intervene, hoping to spare herself anymore praise and slight embarrassment, good natured as it was. Her face was lit up with a smile which showed she didn't mind it overall, but they truly did have a lot to prepare for.

"And the sounds of battle horns are heard once again. Again I thank you Ms. Shepard for coming to see us, but from all that we've managed to gather of late, there is war yet to be fought. Until again we meet." Hannah nodded to Drizzt and departed from the med bay, needing to organize their offensive after she got every bit of intel she could from those that had been involved thus far, their unexpected allies and the traitors alike. Reports had to be filed, plans had to be drawn, and even then they were at a disadvantage given who they were up against.

* * *

**2178 CE. March 6th.**

**Zhentil Keep. Moonsea Region.**

**Arya's Private Quarters.**

**Readjusting plans a bit…**

Now she had another fact to add to the ones she already knew about Arya's unique bend on life. Melding with a vampire was not a good idea if you wanted to keep on living. It turned out that they were comparable to an ardat-yakshi, or demon of the night winds according to old asari legends. The traitor she had thrown to the vampire after Arya had seduced and made the bitch asari putty in her hands had been all too willing to meld with the raven haired goddess of the night, only to find out to her horror that she wouldn't survive the encounter.

Just like an AY, Arya's nervous system had dominated the connection and had sucked out every electrical impulse in the asari's mind, leaving behind an empty and some would say soulless husk that quickly expired. It was quite enjoyable for Arya as her already formidable strength increased, as did her knowledge and overall ability.

The moon elf sorceress had then turned her ability towards Auora. It was both the most sexually gratifying night of her life and also the most terrifying given what she had witnessed not too long ago. She woke up alive and well if a bit sore in some spots since Arya had fed off of her veins, adding a little pain to the intense pleasure that followed. Every bite mark was enjoyably sensitive to the asari as she groaned softly next to Arya who just smiled when their eyes met. "I'm glad I didn't decide to meld with you after all."

Arya just chuckled darkly and licked her lips as both women sat up in the oversized bed. Both had gone to sleep in the nude and both had wound up entangled in the other's limbs, but only one had fallen asleep since the vampire didn't need to sleep persay.

It hadn't always been the case. Auora had learned long ago that most vampires needed time in their coffins every day which had to be buried underground. If they wanted to move their coffin anywhere, they had to take the grave dirt with them as well as their coffin, which made it a problem since vampires were almost as hated and feared as Drow. After the Spellplague however, the rules had changed in the vampires' favor it seemed since some of the old restrictions had been removed, mainly the coffin and grave dirt combo.

Auora was glad of the change personally as she felt Arya's mouth on her neck and the woman's hands on her stomach and waist. "Mmmm….I am as well. I don't believe I've had as much fun as I did last night in a very long time Auora. How are you feeling?"

"A little light headed, but considering where you bit me I can't complain." The asari replied with a husky chuckle, earning a teasing lick to the back of her head fringe in reply which made Auora groan softly in the back of her throat. Damn, Arya was insatiable. She loved it.

"Do you mean here?" Arya asked, letting her right hand brush over her lover's right inner thigh, making Auora gasp as warmth pooled between her legs at the light touch. "Yes, I think that's the spot. It does feel familiar." She continued to tease the asari, letting her fingernails lightly graze over the spot several times just enough to get Auora worked up.

"Shit….Arya….just fuck me already!" She groaned, falling back with the vampire underneath her but that didn't last for long. An hour later they were both spent once more, although it seemed that Arya had wanted to wear Auora out completely since the vampire had concentrated on the asari's pleasure more than her own. At least that's what it had felt like to Auora anyway as she finally came back down to the ground once more. Every centimeter of her flesh was tingling and she was covered in sweat, but Auora could have given a damn.

Arya meanwhile stood and pulled a simple black robe over her sensuous figure after getting out of the bed, smiling down at the asari who was still tangled up in the sheets. She didn't bother to tie the robe up in the front as she went to a nearby table and poured herself a glass of blue blood, having harvested every drop from the dead asari that had been disposed of last night before she had turned her full attention on Auora.

Waste not want not after all.

Most of the morning was relatively peaceful and quiet and while Arya couldn't go outside until the sun went down, Zhentil Keep still had plenty of places that she could get to without ever needing to go anywhere where the light of the sun could reach her. While she let Auora rest, Arya tended to matters of her own, mostly feeding the vampires and their undead allies with a few new prisoners the Zhentarim had captured and had let Arya have for her personal minions. Normally she'd watch them tear the fools apart but she had more important things on her mind.

Such as dealing with the lich, Darius, for example. She knew Auora didn't like the man but Arya had no personal issues about the powerful lich that had joined the ranks of the undead of his own free will. She had not been so fortunate but that was a long time ago. At the time she hadn't wanted to be a vampire but her sire had changed her mind quite…pleasantly, although after Mordoc came around her night life had been drastically restricted.

Still, that was in the past, and Mordoc, the so called Grey Prince, had gotten his in the end.

After reaching his personal workshop, Arya could hear arcane mutterings behind the enchanted door. He was in the middle of preparing his magic for the day she assumed. Before she could leave the mutterings stopped and she could sense rather than see the lich's approach as he opened the door and seemed to smile at the half dressed vampire. "Ah Arya, I see your asari pet isn't wrapped around your waist."

"Nope, we took care of that this morning, but if you want to keep insulting her you might wake up one day and find your phylactery missing from your private quarters." Arya countered with a barely controlled hiss. In a fight to the death, or true death or whatever you wanted to call it, Darius would probably win unless the item that held his twisted soul was smashed apart, but in a fair fight it was unclear who would come out on top since both were powerful mages in their respective rights.

Darius growled in the back of his throat but seemed to calm quickly about the same time Arya did. "Perhaps I've been a little too cold but I just don't understand the fascination you have with the still living members of our group. Be it as it may, what is it that you want?"

It was as close to an apology as Arya was likely to get so she accepted it for what it was. "As you know it was my idea to try to turn one of the captains of the Alliance. I know you have a direct line to the man and I wanted an update to see if anything new had come up." Darius nodded as he was just getting ready to check before he had felt Arya's presence outside his quarters. Letting her inside, the lich and vampire walked over to the full length mirror that was in the back of his workshop.

Scrying could be done on any reflective surface as long as the surface remained still. Water was sometimes better depending on the ingredients one had on hand but for the lich, he preferred mirrors personally. Before long, the image reflected in the mirror changed to that of the captain's private quarters; or rather the former captain's quarters. Instead of the man the lich had expected to see, he saw three different people that shouldn't have been there.

One was obviously Jarlaxle Baenre if that ridiculous hat of his and the eye patch he favored was anything to go by. The other two were human but they were dressed in strange clothing the likes he had never seen before. "Who are you?"

Everyone turned at once and only Jarlaxle wasn't taken aback by the living corpse that was shown in the mirror's reflective surface. Hannah and David however were taken completely by surprise. It was Hannah however that recovered first despite the fact she was talking to someone that had long since expired. David couldn't get his mouth off the floor to save his life. "You're speaking to the Captain of the _SSV Kilimanjaro_ of the System Alliance Navy. My name is Hannah Shepard. You must be part of the Zhentarim we've heard about."

"Indeed. My name is Darius, and it's good to know the face of my enemy. It'll make killing you all the more enjoyable. So I take it the captain we had turned has been captured or killed." Darius replied with obvious disdain, knowing now that their former plan would have to be adjusted. They had hoped that Arya's contact, with Auora's help he rightfully figured, would have provided another ship to the cause, but now it seemed they had more trouble if the man had failed.

"So you confirm that your people got to one of our own. I hope you know that this means war Darius, and we don't handle threats lightly. I don't care what you are or who you are, we will take you down and we will win." Hannah replied, her calm and cold glare matching the lich's burning red orbs that passed for eyes in his skull. Neither was willing to yield to the other.

"I wouldn't hold your breath Ms. Shepard. When we crush you I'll personally make your corpse dance before having it tear itself apart. This conversation is over." The mirror returned to normal, showing nothing beyond their own reflections once more.

Darius growled in the back of his throat and rounded on Arya. "It seems we've brought more of these Alliance pests on our doorstep. Your plan has failed. But we can still salvage this situation. Alert the troops, have Dragonspear Castle prepare for more arrivals. I want that ship demolished and every man and woman killed, captured, or turned right there by you and yours Arya."

"It shall be done."

Things were a lot trickier if Bregan D'aerthe was involved. If they were around, then it was likely that Drizzt and at least Giselle were about as well. David hadn't been seen since he had gone to Icewind Dale twenty years ago and Seth was in Silverymoon still according to the few Zhentarim contacts they had left in the city. They didn't dare try to kill him given the very potent protection wards that surrounded the city and the palace itself. David was too far out of reach to make attacking the barbarians worth the risk, at least not yet.

No, they'd have to settle for the ones they COULD get to. Still, Arya smiled wickedly as she made a quick stop by her private quarters once more, seeing that Auora was dressed in her Eclipse armor and was prepared for the day at last. The asari took one look at the vampire and smirked, having a feeling today just got a lot more interesting.

The new plans that had been set into motion would take the better part of two days, but once the gunships were loaded up and the troops moved, they'd flood out of Dragonspear Castle and kill anything that got in their way. War had once again come to the Realms.

* * *

**2178 CE. March 6-8th**

**The Woods of Sharp Teeth. The Western Heartlands**

**SSV Hastings, mess hall.**

After the rather nasty surprise of seeing a corpse talking and walking and speaking through a damn mirror of all things, Anderson had recovered quickly after Jarlaxle had said that smashing the thing was safe to do. Anderson had put his boot through the infernal thing and felt better the rest of the day, and had even taken to their new allies quite nicely, a fact that both Shepards had been happy to see.

In the two days that followed, the crew of the _SSV Kilimanjaro_ was able to gather the last pieces of this interesting puzzle and report their findings to the Alliance back home. They were quite happy that they had sent a dreadnought after they had a fair idea of what they were dealing with, especially after receiving video footage of the talk the elder Shepard had had with the talking corpse. A few of the more close minded individuals still couldn't believe in everything they had been given to date, but they all agreed that it was the right call to send the forces they had if a full scale invasion was being planned.

Giselle had woken up the first day things were being put into motion and prepared for the invasion. After a heartfelt reunion with her father, and more rest as ordered by the good doctor who had saved her life for sure this time, she was up and about by day 2. With Neria's help the rest of her recovery was over far more quickly since she didn't want to miss out on the attack that was being planned. Doctor Chakwas got her first look at real magic being performed right in her medical bay, and she had to admit it was like seeing a miracle being performed right before her eyes.

Neria had been quick to shoot down such praise since it was common where she came from, and the wood elf didn't feel comfortable in trying to exploit such obvious praise unlike some healers she had come across in her travels before coming here. "It was a minor healing spell at best Lady Chakwas. I just finished what you started."

"It was still something I had not expected to see first hand Ms. Zathrieal." Karin replied, one of her sage old smiles planted firmly on her face.

"When you two are done ogling each other how about letting me go doc. I don't want to be late for the battle that's coming." Giselle replied, earning a light hearted chuckle from Karin and a embarrassed gasp as Neria turned away as Giselle started to sit up on the side of the bed. Drizzt just shook his head in amusement at the display, his old heart feeling lighter than it had in years.

After letting her dress in peace in the backroom, her father was waiting for his daughter in the back where the sleeper pods resided, leaning against the bare back wall. He called for her when he saw her start to pass by with Neria close on her heel. She had a feeling he wanted her alone so Giselle sent Neria on her way for the moment before heading to talk to the man.

Once she was beside him, Drizzt did the last thing she ever expected him to do willingly. "Father…are you sure about this?" Her voice was suddenly constricted in her throat as she watched him undo his sword belt and hold out the twin scimitar blades that he had cut his fame with across the centuries he had been on the surface of Toril.

"You've more than earned them Giselle. I've never said it before but the day you stole them from me thirty years ago, I realized that I was getting too old to carry on traveling the road anymore. I was happy for their return when you came back after the ordeal with Marik, but I was much happier to see you again despite how briefly you remained. You have your mother's wandering spirit, and my strong and stubborn will. I know you'll wear these with the knowledge to use them only when there's no other choice my darling girl."

Giselle didn't take the blades, she hugged her father tightly instead who was just fast enough to avoid injuring himself as he got his belt out of the way and wrapped his arms around her body, feeling the tears that spilled out of her eyes against his cheek. They were tears of joy and he didn't try to get her to stop as they parted, hazel eyes meeting purple as each accepted the other in equal measure.

"Your friend Shepard explained this UP3 to me as well so I figured that if Toril is to be uplifted and you taken to the stars that you'd need a good blade by your side. That and I can't think of a more worthy successor than you to Twinkle and Icingdeath anyway Giselle." Giselle nodded as they traded sword belts, finding her hands shaking with the gift since it meant a great deal to her. It meant a lot of things, the most important being that her father finally accepted the fact that she was no longer in need of protecting, that she was strong enough to stand on her own.

"I'll remember everything you taught me father, and I'll make you proud."

"You already have, many times over Giselle. Never doubt that in the days to come. I have one more thing for you before I forget." Again he had to take a few seconds but he found what he was looking for as he pulled out a stone figurine made out of onyx stone. The sculpture was in the shape of a panther on the move, and Giselle immediately recognized the powerful artifact for what it was.

"Now this is too much. You and Guenhwyvar have been together for ages." Drizzt held up his hand and silenced her as he handed the stone over to Giselle.

"As I took it from an evil Drow wizard long ago in Menzoberranzan, I willingly give Guenhwyvar to you Giselle. Call her, I know you remember how." Giselle knew the old panther well and loved and treated the magically summoned animal as a valued friend, but this was too much to handle in one day. First her father had given his old blades to his daughter, and now his most trusted ally in battle as well? She almost dropped it as she started to kneel to the ground and placed the panther's statue upright on the metal floor between them.

"Guenhwyavar, come to me my shadow." Giselle's voice carried across the dimensional planes of existence to the Astral Plane. It was rightfully called such since the plane was perpetually night with countless stars filling the night sky. It was a truly beautiful plane of existence, and one fitting for the black panther that came running to her new master's call as a black mist formed where the figurine once stood. Giselle was toppled by six hundred pounds of pure black panther as she soon felt Guen's rough tongue against her face.

"Get off me you oversized cat." Giselle laughed as she tried to push the cat away, earning a belly deep laugh from Drizzt since it reminded him of the old days when he used to summon Guenhwyvar to playfully torment Bruenor Battlehammer.

Guenhwyvar instead yawned and rolled over on her back on top of Giselle who just laughed and tried to draw breath before managing to slip out from under the beautiful creature. Scratching behind Guen's ears, Giselle smiled up at her father who knelt on Guen's other side, locking eyes with the panther. Those that knew Guenwhyvar couldn't mistake the spark of intelligence behind her beautiful green cat eyes which shone brightly in the dark, the only warning some enemies got before they were torn to ribbons.

She knew what was happening as she sensed rather than heard the words they exchanged; such was the skill rangers like them possessed when it came to animals, normal or magical in nature alike. Guenhwyvar didn't 'speak' back in any sense of the word, but she showed her understanding in other ways as she lifted a paw and placed it over Drizzt's shoulders as if hugging him as the Drow did the same before the panther turned her gaze to her new master, or mistress in this case.

"Are you ready to take the fight to the Zhentarim Giselle?" Alexandria asked, having silently observed the whole affair. She hadn't seen anything like it and it hadn't seem right to intrude on such a private affair. The giant panther didn't seem to bother her in the least as Guenhwyvar turned her gaze upon the human before standing to her feet. Giselle followed but wasn't worried as Alexandria locked gazes with the panther.

Guenhwyvar seemed to sense a similar warrior spirit in this woman and seemed to growl her approval before wandering back to Giselle's side lazily. Drizzt silently observed the exchange, finding it intriguing that Guen had taken a measure of their ally in arms and had found an equal. Giselle meanwhile nodded before turning to her father once more. "What about Guenhwyvar, do the old rules still apply to her summonings?"

"No actually, Seth was able to find a way to extend her ability to remain on our side unless she's dispelled or injured enough that she's forced back to the Astral Plane. I was pleasantly surprised and just to see if it worked I kept her here for a full month with no ill effects. I still had to wait a day and a half before I could call her again, but whatever he did it seems to last." That surprised Giselle but it would help a great deal in the days to come.

"What do you plan to do Drizzt? I could see if we could get you a shuttle ride back home if you'd like." Shepard asked but Drizzt waved his hand at the offer.

"It's quite alright Shepard. You don't have to do that. I can still take care of myself well enough. No, I think I'll stay in Baldur's Gate and raise the Duke's forces there if you happen to fail. I hold great faith in your ability to succeed, but I would rather have the soldiers in the city prepared for an attack that never comes, than have them get caught unawares."

"A wise move, but hopefully it won't come to that. Good luck Drizzt, I'll have the guards let you out." Drizzt shook hands with Alexandria once more before hugging Giselle one last time before starting on his way. Not before however saying one last thing to them both though.

"Keep each other safe. I don't want to have to clean up the mess." He teased, earning a chuckle from both women as the old warrior was shown the elevator and let down to the docking bay.

"He's a good man your father. I can see why you hold him in such high regard." Giselle nodded to Alexandria's words. She had no idea just how high, but maybe she did since it seemed to the half Drow that Shepard held her own mother Hannah in equal esteem, a fact that she was quick to point out. "You got me there Giselle. So, anything I should know about our panther friend here? I hate to say it but there are regulations against anything bigger than a goldfish."

Fish were one of the few pets that were ever allowed on an Alliance ship. "I'd like to see someone try to get rid of her by force." Giselle replied, earning an approving growl from Guenhwyvar herself which just made Shepard grin. "But I agree, a ship isn't a great place for Guenhwyvar to wander so I'll only let her wander about when we're on a mission most likely unless you get your own ship or something."

"Sounds good to me Giselle. And what do you say Guenhwyvar?" Shepard asked, kneeling before the great beast who just licked the tip of the human's nose in response. That got a chuckle out of both as Shepard stood and beckoned the two to follow.

She didn't have Giselle send Guenhwyvar back since she had a feeling they'd need the powerful panther before today was over with, so the new crew that had control of the SSV Hastings got a few surprises as they saw the six hundred pound beast wandering the ship to the elevator, right on the heels of the knife eared warrior that had helped liberate the ship from their former captain.

Today might had been the weirdest yet for some, but no one took a shot at the panther once they saw who she was with. Once they were in the docking bay again, someone still busy trying to clean the scorch marks off of the deck from the grenade Shepard had used, the two women and the panther saw that Jarlaxle was going over a detailed drawing of the castle they were to hit first.

"If the old design still holds, then there are at least three ways into the castle grounds. One is through the front gate. My men and I can easily penetrate the castle grounds and get the gate open for you. I can take a few of your techs just in case they've upgraded the standard locks such a gate would normally hold. Or we can take the underground route, through the known passageways that go under the castle walls and into the dungeons. It would take longer perhaps and there's no telling what's moved in those caves or if there's even a passageway that's clear anymore to the castle's bowels, but it might be better than trying to go through the front gate. Let's just say I don't hold much faith in your tech to blast our way in."

"You'd be surprised what we're capable of Baenre." David Anderson retorted, earning several chuckles from the men around them as well as from Jarlaxle himself. "Still I agree that it might be better if we hit both access points at once. Coordination between teams might be difficult but if we time it right, we'd catch the bastards in a pincer move below and above ground. It's the idea that something nasty has moved in those tunnels that makes me a bit nervous to follow through."

"I can lead the underside team sir." Alexandria said with Giselle showing obvious support beside her. All eyes fell on Shepard. Those that knew her well knew this was a big step for her given her recent ordeals in the leadership role. The fact she was volunteering for the job was further proof of that. "If we can catch them on two fronts, we'd have an untold advantage over their defenses."

"The only problem though is that I'm not sure about the Hell Portal that's located in the deepest part of the castle dungeons." Giselle added, a little unsure of the idea since the seal might have weakened enough that any significant disturbance might be enough to open it up again. Then they'd have a very hard time of things since demons were just as powerful as any dragon in some cases, if not more so.

"If it comes to it Giselle, you know I can seal it again." Neria offered, having done something similar once before. It had nearly killed her since it had taken every bit of magical energy she had to accomplish the job, but she had managed it all the same.

"No, I don't want to have to nurse you back to health again like last time Neria. And that's assuming you survive doing it a second time." Giselle countered, not wanting to put her friend at risk needlessly.

"I'll be fine Giselle. That was two years ago. I've grown since then, same as you." Neria reassured her, putting a comforting hand on the woman's right shoulder. "Do not worry, I can handle myself."

She was still reluctant but Giselle nodded as she squeezed the hand on her shoulder before she turned to the final planning session before them. "Alright. I'll go with Shepard and anyone else that's willing to go with us. If you do agree to go with us however you will be taking orders from me. There are no better underground warriors than the Drow and if you want to survive down there in the dark, you will want to pay attention."

"I'd listen to the lady. Believe me; the dark caves are home to some of the most fearsome enemies you're ever likely to meet." Jarlaxle added to Giselle's statement. She might not be Alliance trained, but this was their world, and Shepard was willing to take her orders from Giselle if it meant they survived the trek through the dark caverns they planned to hit.

"Shepard, if you agree to go this route then it'll be up to you and Ms. Do'Urden to lead your forces to the castle grounds in one piece. Follow their direction, this is their world and we've interfered enough as it is, but we can't let these Eclipse scum further tamper with them as they have." Anderson said to the marines that were knee deep in the docking bay. He got a hearty response in reply as every man and women shouted back in turn, 'sir yes sir!'. "They're all yours Shepard, Giselle. Lead the way, we'll hit the front and try to distract them as much as possible until you make the rendezvous point."

"Yes sir."

"Unless we get the gate open first, then we'll just meet you in the courtyard and mop up the rest." Jarlaxle offered with one of his cheery grins on his face. Once everything was agreed upon, Giselle, Guenhwyvar, and Alexandria plus a full squad of marines got into one of the shuttles that had been parked outside the Hastings before their pilot lifted off.

The war against the Zhentarim and the Eclipse had begun.

* * *

_A/N. The student has finally been accepted as ready to stand on her own, Alexandria has stepped up and started towards the path of being the heroine she's all but destined to be, and the Alliance has started to get the cold hard facts about the magical nature of those they have stumbled upon, opening up all kinds of possibilities for the future. All this and more will come to a head and this is still before the beginning of ME 1. HEEHEE! I hope you all enjoy what's to come down the road ladies and gentlemen. The war has only just begun and already I'm quite giddy with excitement._

_I had thought I wouldn't get this finished until after the weekend was over but I was on a roll all day today and got a lot more done than I had thought I would. So now, I get to share my mad genius with all of you before schedule. ;D_


End file.
